Lemony Delights

Mindy here, probably in my recliner with ice therapy on my shoulder and still under the influence of pain meds, so this post has been prerecorded. ;)

Did you know that with rotator cuff surgery you are not allowed to use the arm on which the surgery is done for 4 months? You cannot lift it, except under the careful watch of a physical therapist. You cannot push or pull with said arm. You cannot carry anything. You cannot brush your teeth or hair with that hand because it involves using the arm. That said, I will soon be able to write and type again, because that doesn't involve arm movement. But, basically, my elbow has to stay at my side. So I have the arm movement of a T-Rex.

I'm not telling you all of this for sympathy, I'm merely letting you know so you'll have low expectations for my upcoming posts.

Oh, yes, just think of the fun things to come as I try to become adept with my left hand.

In the meantime, though, I wanted to share this delightfully, surprising cookie recipe with you.

I first saw these on a Pioneer Woman Christmas special a few years ago, however I never made them until this past December. And even though I'd seen the recipe and bought the ingredients, I was still surprised by them. Probably because most Christmas cookies are super sweet. These are delightfully lemony, so I have decided to rename them Lemony Delights so you can enjoy them year round.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 sticks butter, softened (Ree says salted butter, but I only had unsalted, so I added pinch of salt to the mixture)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 egg yolks
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• Zest of one orange
• 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted twice
• green and/or red candied cherries cut in half for topping (this is if you're making them for Christmas, otherwise omit)

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add the vanilla, egg yolks, lemon zest and juice and orange zest and mix until combined.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl then mix again.

Add the sifted flour and mix until combined.

Put dough into a zip top plastic bag and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

When you're ready to make the cookies, preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Roll dough into one-inch balls and place on baking sheets.

If you're using the cherries, carefully press 1 half, cut side down, into each ball. If you're not using the cherries, you could press them to slightly flatten or make a thumbprint or whatever. Even criss-cross with a fork, like for peanut butter cookies. Just don't make them too thin.

Bake for about 20 minutes, but don't let them brown.

Cool on wire rack.

Okay, so envision these without the cherries. You could even dust them with some powdered sugar, like lemon bars. But these are so light and buttery and that citrus flavor so refreshing.

Can you tell I love them?

I could eat every one of them by myself. But that would be bad, so I will share them with you.

Now it's your turn.

So what has everyone been up to? Are you still in the throws of winter or is spring trying to spring?

Mindy Obenhaus lives in Texas with her husband and kids. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com