Lemon Cookies

These melt in your mouth.... and if you want to cook them longer, they're crispier. But I like them softer so I make them like I do my sugar cookies (courtesy of Betty Crocker), with powdered sugar.

I made these for a family funeral today. My brother Mike passed away on Saturday. I had the pleasure and honor of being with him when he breathed his last... of singing old Everly Brothers songs to him (his favorite) and sweet hymns...

It is quite possible that Mike fled to heaven's doors to get away from our singing, my brother Terry and I aren't exactly a practiced duo. :)

But it was good... and sad... and wonderful... and peaceful. Exactly what we wanted for him.

So for today's gathering, we did a cookie tray and these lemon cookies were the first ones I got done and I refuse to tell you how many I ate. Or how good the dough was.

Shh.

Don't tell!

Here's the lemon cookie recipe:

LEMON COOKIES 

1 cup soft butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sour milk (1 tablespoon lemon juice added to 1 cup milk)
Juice and zest from one big lemon, add juice as needed to make 1/4 cup
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream butter and eggs. Add milk and juice, zest and mix well. Add flour slowly, with baking soda and baking powder.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) onto parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 9-10 minutes. Cookies should be soft and pale, but firm. If that makes a lick of sense!

Cool.

Frost.

Frosting Recipe:

1 3 oz. package of cream cheese (softened)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar (I grew up hearing it called confectioner's sugar!!!)
Zest and juice from one lemon

Blend cream cheese and butter. Add sugar, lemon juice and zest. Blend and then beat on medium high until smooth. Add yellow food coloring to give slight yellow color, if desired.

Frost cooled cookies.

These are tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, a perfect lemony treat for spring and summer.... before our tastes give way to blue jeans and cinnamon, apples and spice!

I joined them with several varieties of cookies and brownies, so that when we gathered to celebrate Mike's life... we could do it over delicious food, through laughter and tears, with family and friends gathered around.

Just the way he would have wanted it.

Join Ruthy at her website ruthloganherne.com or friend her on facebook as Ruth Logan Herne... Author of more than 40 novels and novellas, this award-winning, bestselling author loves God, her family, her country, cowboys, dogs, cats, coffee and chocolate. And not necessarily in that order!

Ruthy's latest book! "A Light in the Darkness" a cozy mystery from Guideposts!!!

Available here, through Guideposts, Inc!