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ISO Extraordinary Lemon Cookie that Holds Together

sshipper's picture
sshipper

ISO Extraordinary Lemon Cookie that Holds Together

HI Friends,

If anyone out there can let me know about a source for an extraordinary lemon cookie I would appreciate it   The one I have is out of Martha Stewart and extraordinary...but does not hold together.

The cookie turns out lacy (yes I have chilled it several hours,) and breaks into many pieces.  Any ideas appreciated.

Best,

Stephanie

AW's picture
AW

There are two cookies that I love. Dorie Greenspan has re-created the classic sable in her book Baking, From My kitchen to yours.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/style/tmagazine/sable_recipe1.html

These are the traditional French coookies; I believe these are the type for which you are looking.

I have also made Light Lemon Sugar Cookies from America's test kitchen. I brought them to a party and they were devoured. If you have an account with them you can try it at this link

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/login.asp?docid=7516&extcode=M**ASCA00

 

uncle goosehead's picture
uncle goosehead

The first link requires a log in to an American newspaper.

The second link requires a membership in a website.  They offer a trial membership before they bill you. Using a throw-away login (using bugmenot), here's the recipe from the newspaper:

(re-printed for non-profit use, legal in my country, if not in your's do not read or bake these cookies I suppose)

MAKES ABOUT 50 COOKIES

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter (preferably high-fat, like Plugra), softened at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted before measuring
1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt
2 large egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour.

For the decoration (optional):
1 egg yolk
Crystal or dazzle sugar.

1. Working in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until it is smooth and very creamy. Add the sugars and salt and continue to beat until smooth and velvety, not fluffy and airy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in 2 egg yolks, again beating until well blended.

2. Turn off the mixer, pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the mixer and pulse the mixer about 5 times at low speed for 1 or 2 seconds each time. Take a peek; if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of more times; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, stir for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough and the dough looks uniformly moist. If you still have some flour on the bottom of the bowl, stop mixing and use a rubber spatula to work the rest of it into the dough. (The dough will not come together in a ball -- and it shouldn't. You want to work the dough as little as possible. What you're aiming for is a soft, moist, clumpy dough. When pinched, it should feel a little like Play-Doh.)

3. Scrape the dough onto a work surface, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each piece into a smooth log about 9 inches long (it's easiest to work on a piece of plastic wrap and use the plastic to help form the log). Wrap the logs well and chill them for at least 2 hours. The dough may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

4. When ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and keep it at the ready.

5. To decorate the edges of the sables, whisk the egg yolk until smooth. Place one log of chilled dough on a piece of waxed paper and brush it with yolk (the glue), and then sprinkle the entire surface of the log with sugar. Trim the ends of the roll if they are ragged and slice the log into 1/3-inch-thick cookies.

6. Place the rounds on the baking sheet, leaving an inch of space between each cookie, and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the halfway point. When properly baked, the cookies will be light brown on the bottom, lightly golden around the edges and pale on top. Let the cookies rest 1 or 2 minutes before carefully lifting them onto a cooling rack with a wide metal spatula. Repeat with the remaining log of dough. (Make sure the sheet is cool before baking each batch.)

Variations:
Lemon Sables Before mixing the butter and sugar together, pour the sugar in a bowl with the grated zest of 1 to 1 1/2 lemons. Work the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the mixture is moist and aromatic, then cream it with the butter in the mixer.

Parmesan Sables Replace sugars with 3/4 cup very finely grated Parmesan added to the beaten butter. A few grains of fleur de sel may be gently pressed into the top of each sable before the baking sheet is slipped into the oven.

sshipper's picture
sshipper

I greatly appreciate the recipe...thanks for taking the time

best,

Stephanie

sshipper's picture
sshipper

Thank you AW for taking your time and energy to give me the links.  Greatly appreciated!

 

Best,

Stephanie

AW's picture
AW

You're welcome, Stephanie. I hope you have better luck with these.

-Arlene

clazar123's picture
clazar123

I have seen it a few times and google doesn't seem to find a correct context definitiion.

I am probably demonstrating either my age or social naivete here but then again, those qualities make me willing to ask.

sphealey's picture
sphealey

Well, it could mean International Standards Organization, but in this case I think it is:

ISO = in search of

sPh

sshipper's picture
sshipper

Hi Clazar,

I like you was clueless at one time!  The current definintion is In Search Of.

 

Thanks,

Step;hanie

sshipper's picture
sshipper

Hi Clazar,

Just to clarify.  It has also taken me many clarifications to comprehend the new 'short' lingo that goes with texting.  There is still much that I don't comprehend!

Best,

Stephanie

Chuck's picture
Chuck

Google needs a little help to understand that you're looking for a slang definition rather than some sort of "official" acronym. To find terms like this using Google, also include the word "netlingo"  (or "lingo")  ...in other words do a Google search for something like this:
netlingo ISO
(or perhaps lingo iso )

sshipper's picture
sshipper

Hi Chuck,

good idea,  texting has created a bunch of lingo that I am only learning about.

 

Thanks,

Stephanie

Urchina's picture
Urchina

I've successfully adapted Martha Stewart's giant sugar cookie recipe to make it lemon. I added finely grated lemon zest and some lemon extract in addition to the vanilla extract called for in the recipe. These  are drop cookies and a bit on the cakey side, but generously lemon-flavored and do not fall apart. 

 

Here's the link:

www.marthastewart.com/255844/giant-sugar-cookies?czone=food/cookies-cnt/everyday-favorites

 

If for some reason the link doesn't work go to www.marthastewart.com and search "giant sugar cookies" there. 

 

 

sshipper's picture
sshipper

Appreciate this very much;  I have a real "ick" when I see crisco in recipes...just can't bring myself to use it even though I know it creates glue.  A relief to know that there is another option!

 

Best,

Stephanie