Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Lemon Spool Cookies


With all the sewing I do, I have been accumulating several empty thread spools. I have thrown some away, but I always feel guilty when I do, because spools just seem useful somehow. And they are! To make these adorable cookies-- perfect for all your upcoming spring get-togethers--you don't need a cookie press. All you need is a spool!

Lemon Spool Cookies
2 2/3 cups white wheat/ all-purpose flour (I use half of each)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
4-5 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
1 large empty plastic spool from thread, paper removed from ends

1. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder.  Beat butter and coconut oil with 1 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, lemon rind, lemon juice,  lemon extract, and yellow food coloring.  On low speed, gradually mix in the flour mixture.  Chill 1 hour.

2. Heat oven to 400. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

3. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup sugar with 1-2 drops food coloring.  Form dough into small walnut-size balls (or use a small cookie scoop), and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.   Dip a flat- bottomed glass in the sugar then press each dough ball slightly (just enough to give it a flat top coated in sugar).

4. Use the end of the spool to press the center of each cookie about half-way down. I like to dip my spool in the sugar too.

5. Bake 8-9 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

The spools I thankfully didn't toss. 

The dough balls before pressing

Yellow Sugar
(makes me think of that line from Monsters, Inc: "No,no,no...It's lemon!")

The first press--with a flat-bottomed glass dipped in sugar

After the second press (with the spool), before baking 
(That pan was a wedding gift--can you tell?)

Cooling...

So pretty! Spools...who knew?


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4 comments:

  1. I'm making these today, but I don't have coconut oil in my pantry yet. What do you recommend as a substitution (if it must be done)?

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    Replies
    1. Alexis, I'm so sorry I didn't see this until now. I would use all butter. Shortening would be a fine substitute as well, and it may make for a lighter consistency to the cookie than butter, but it's not as healthy (since it's a trans-fat).

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    2. No worries. I ended up guessing and trying shortening since it was a relatively small amount. Sometimes my cookies that are all butter spread thin when they bake, so I wanted to give these a chance to hold their shape. They came out really cute, but I'm looking forward to doing them with coconut oil soon! Thanks for sharing the recipe and idea with the spool!

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  2. 3 Studies REVEAL How Coconut Oil Kills Belly Fat.

    This means that you actually get rid of fat by consuming coconut fat (including coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil).

    These 3 researches from big medical magazines are sure to turn the conventional nutrition world upside down!

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