Easter / Spring Cookies

I am eagerly anticipating spring and the Easter holiday so I thought I would share a cookie recipe that my mother always made around Easter. She hasn't made them the last few years and I have to admit, I haven't continued the tradition, though I am making them this year.

The recipe does require a cookie press. I'm not sure how they would turn out if you used a floral cookie cutter instead. If you do use a cookie cutter, please drop me a comment and let me know how they came out.

Spring Lemon Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 medium egg
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar for decorating - See asterisk below.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together using a mixer on medium speed until the mixture is well combined. Add in the egg and lemon and vanilla extract and mix until mixture is just combined. Change speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture until everything is combined.

Choose the flower motif and assemble the cookie press according to the manufacturer's directions. Fill the cookie press with the dough, press the dough about 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie or baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar (*I mix a tiny drop or two of yellow food coloring into some sugar inside a ziploc sandwich bag to make a yellow colored sugar to decorate with.) Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown color. Let cool 5 minutes and remove from the pan and let cool completely on a cookie rack.

Makes approximately 40 cookies.