Christmas in July

I'm sure I have you all frightened by now. But if the Hallmark Channel can do it, so can I. Especially since I've officially begun my Christmas shopping. Yes, you read that right. It was only ornaments, though. I give each of my kids and grandkids an ornament every year and Hallmark's ornament debut was this weekend, so I took the opportunity to grab some now and accumulate reward points that I can redeem when they bring out the next round in October. So see, there's a method behind my madness. That said, I've already warned hubby that Christmas décor will be going up right after Halloween. I love all of the twinkling lights and with the year we've had, it just feels right. I will also be writing a Christmas book during that time, so why not surround myself with inspiration.

Since we can't talk about Christmas without thinking about Christmas cookies, I thought I'd share this recipe I first saw on a Pioneer Woman Christmas special years ago. Because while they may look Christmassy, the citrussy flavor makes them perfect for summer. You can find Ree's recipe for Christmas Cherries here.

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 makes them nice and festive for the holidays, but I omit them the rest of the year)

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.

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 allow them brown, then cool on wire rack.

Okay, so envision these without the cherries. You could even dust them with 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.

We're hotter'n blue blazes here in Texas. Actually, I think much of the country is stuck under some heat ridge of high pressure, so you may be sweltering, too. With triple-digit heat, this is where I do the opposite of Ruthy. Now's the time when I hunker down in the air conditioning and do lots of writing. And dream of cooler temperatures. And eat delicious lemony cookies. ;-) 

How hot is it where you are?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com