Iced Lemon Cookies

Lemons...the leading acid citrus fruit, because of its very appealing color, odor and flavor, the lemon, Citrus limon Burm. f. (syns. C. limonium Risso, C. limonia Osbeck, C. medica var. limonium Brandis), is known in Italy as limone; in most Spanish-speaking areas as limón, limón agria, limón real, or limón francés; in German as limonen; in French as citrónnier; in Dutch as citroen. In Haiti, it is limon France; in Puerto Rico, limon amarillo. In the Netherlands Antilles, lamoentsji, or lamunchi, are locally applied to the lime, not to the lemon as strangers suppose. The lemon is not grown there.

Ok, so now that you know how to SAY lemon...let's eat the freakin thing that makes you close your eyes when you get a taste of that tart but ooh so sweetness! The lemon for this recipe were dedicated from the lemon tree from my back yard. I'm just about out of them, but my friend's tree still has some left. I used hers also (I think they're meyers...yumm)! Anyways, these lemon cookies are simple and delicious. Plain and simple. And then I threw the icing on top of Rachael Ray's cookies and WOW that just put it over the top! Freakin good! And so these make the perfect submission for this month's SHF #43-Citrus.

Iced Lemon Cookies
Adpated from Rachael Ray

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
Grated peel of 2 lemons, plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Line 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter, 1 cup sugar, the lemon peel and juice until fluffy. Mix in the egg. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and combine.

2. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls, then roll in the sugar. Place on the prepared cookie sheets a few inches apart. Bake until golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheets to racks to cool completely.

Lemon Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

In a medium bowl, whisk sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Spoon onto cooled cookies, and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Let stand on a cooling rack until the glaze is set, about 1 hour.

Makes 3 dozen.