Rhubarb Lemon Cookies

Rhubarb Lemon Cookies

Julia   

These cookies, friends, are fabulous.  Tangy and sweet, the combo is nearly irresistable.  I was hesitant to use rhubrarb in a cookie, but it was worth the risk. 

Rhubarb Lemon Cookies – Adapted from PickleBums

Ingredients

• 1 stick + 5 T butter, softened
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 C white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. corn starch
• 1 C rhubarb
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/2 T sugar

Directions

Add 1 C rhubarb and 1/2 T sugar to a bowl.  Add in 1 tsp. lemon zest and 2 T lemon juice and allow the mixutre to sit while you make the dough.  Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.   

Cream together the softened butter (13 T), with 1/2 C brown and 1/2 C white sugar.  Mix in 1 egg.  

Next, mix together 2 C white whole wheat flour (measure just a little shy of 2 C), 3/4 tsp. sald, 3 tsp. baking powder and 2 tsp. corn starch. 

Add these dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir until a stiff dough forms. 

Add the rhubarb mixture to the dough and stir until combined. 

Scoop out the dough and place 1 T balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  I love using ice cream scoopers to do this!  The cookies do not spread too much, so you can easily get 12-16 on a cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10-15 minutes in your 350 degree oven.  Cookies will brown slightly around the edges, but will not get brown like your typical cookie.  Do not overbake. 

Cool and enjoy!   

Lemon Skillet Chicken with Vegetables

Lemon Skillet Chicken with Vegetables

Julia   

If you are looking for a tasty and refreshing summer recipe that does not involve turning on your oven, than this is the recipe for you. 

Light and refreshing, this lemon crusted chicken skillet with tasty summer vegetables is sure to be a hit at your dinner table. 

Lemon Skillet Chicken with Vegetables – Adapted from Baked By Rachel

Ingredients

• 1 recipe lemon butter sauce
• 2 medium bell peppers, sliced into strips
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered into 1-inch pieces
• 8 stalks of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 T flour
• salt and pepper, dashes of each
• 2 T lemon zest (an entire lemon)
• 4 lemon slices
• 1/2 T butter

Directions

Begin by combining 4 T flour with salt and pepper and lemon zest in a shallow bowl.  Add in the chicken breasts and coat well in the mixture. 

Melt 1/2 T butter in a large skillet over medium heat. 

Add in the coated chicken and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes and then flip over. 

Add the lemon slices and continue cooking until chicken temperature reaches 180 degrees. 

Meanwhile sauté the sliced veggies in a second skillet over medium heat.  If needed, drizzle with a little olive oil to sauté. 

Cook until crisp-tender and then add the herbed butter sauce. 

Serve veggies and lemon chicken topped with a lemon slice. 

Enjoy!

Lemon Cookies {made in a waffle iron!}

Lemon Cookies {made in a waffle iron!}

Julia   

It has been raining for 13 of the last 15 days. 

Our sump pump (for which I am extremely thankful!) has been running non stop.  The trees, just about ready to burst their buds, seem to have taken a little hiatus from their spring development over the past few days as we have been doused with rain and have not seen the sun since Saturday. 

I’m in need of a little spring. 
Sunshine and refreshment. 

Two things lemons can conjure up. 

Better yet, make these cookies in a waffle iron can turn an ordinary cookie into an extraordinary one! 

The recipe originally called for more sugar, and used lemon extract, as well as all-purpose flour.  We changed things up, reducing sugar, swapping white whole wheat for all-purpose flour, and used a combination of lemon juice and zest in place of the extract.  Yum-o. 

Lemon Cookies {made in a waffle iron} – Adapted from Created By Diane

Ingredients

• 7 T butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1 2/3 C white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• Powdered sugar

Directions

Begin by creaming together 1 C sugar with 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. lemon zest and the 7 T melted and cooled butter. 

Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until the dough stiffens up. The photo below is after one egg was added and mixed into the ingredients. 

Then, add in the vanilla (1/4 tsp.).  Stir. 

Mix together 1 2/3 C white whole wheat flour and 1/4 tsp. baking powder.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beating well to combine.  The dough will be fairly thick – cookie dough consistency. 

Pre-heat your waffle iron.  I set mine on medium heat.  Lightly grease it right before you add 1 C batter to the center of the waffle iron.  Spread out the batter a bit before closing the lid (I used a spatula to do this), and then close the lid. 

Cook the waffle cookie for about 4 minutes, then check to see if it is lightly browned.  If it is, carefully use two spatulas to remove the cookie.  The cookie will feel really soft to the touch.  In fact, you will think you’ll want to cook the cookie longer in the waffle iron…. don’t go much longer.  The cookie will firm up as it cools down. 

If you have trouble getting the cookie out, put on some oven mitts and carefully flip your waffle iron upside down and allow the cookie to flip/flop/fall its way out.  I ended up doing this at the end, and was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. 

Transfer carefully to a wire cooling rack. 

Cool and top with powdered sugar. 

Serve slightly cooled or at room temperature.  Store any remaining waffle cookies as you would other cookies.  In total, this recipe made about 5 waffles (6-inch across). 

Enjoy your touch of spring!