Lemon Ginger Cookies

Although I can't claim to have made these cookies, I most definitely can claim to have eaten them (and photgraphed them :)) They were baked my my little sister Angie, who I'm trying to convince to start a bakery with me someday...although we are both quite novice at this point, I think we definitely have some potential! The recipe for these cookies comes from a book called "Big Fat Cookies" By Elinor Klivans. What a great name! I love the layout of the book including the photos, which by the way is my latest dream job: food photographer, how fun would that be?

Lemon Ginger Cookies

cookies

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

2 1/2 t. ground ginger

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c. powdered sugar

2 t. finely grated lemon zest

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. (about 4 oz.) whole blanched almonds, toasted, and finely ground

lemon filling

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 t. finely grated lemon zest

1 T. fresh lemon juice

Sift the flour, salt, ginger, and cinnamon into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and slightly lightened in color, about 1 minute. On low speed, mix in the lemon zest, vanilla, and ground almonds. Mix in the flour mixture just until the flour is incorporated and the dough holds together and comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Refrigerate the dough until it's cold and firm enough to roll, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap one piece of dough. Lightly flour the rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to 1/4" thickness. Use a round cookie cutter with scalloped edges to cut out 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 inch circles (or any shape you like) from the dough. Use a metal spatula to place the circles 1 inch apart on one of the prepared baking sheets. (The cookies do not spread much.) Cut a 1-inch circle form the center of half of the cookies and remove these circles from the cookies.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the edges are light brown and the tops firm, about 20 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling: In a medium bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Turn the cookies without the holes bottom side up. Leaving a 1/8-inch plain edge, spread about 2 T. of filling over each one. Place the bottoms of the cookies with the holes on top of the filling. Cookies can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature to serve.