Best Martha Stewarts Lemon Currant Cookies Recipes

SPARKLY LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Beat in eggs until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Slowly add milk and beat on medium until a dough forms, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until bottoms of cookies are pale golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.
• In a bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush glaze onto cookies. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let glaze harden, about 20 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

CREAM CHEESE LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Put butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until creamy.
• Mix in granulated sugar. Add egg, and lemon zest and juice; mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; mix into butter mixture on low speed.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a small amount of the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large French tip (such as Ateco #865). Holding tip very close to the surface, pipe 3 1/2-inch bows onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper; space 1 inch apart. Refill pastry bag as needed with remaining dough.
• Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

MEYER-LEMON SHORTBREAD WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Cookies: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with zest on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in confectioners' sugar until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute more. Reduce speed to low. Beat in lemon juice and salt, then flour, until combined. Divide dough in half, transfer each to plastic wrap, pat into disks, wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days (or freeze up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator before using).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Stamp out rounds with a 3-inch cutter, preferably fluted. Transfer to prepared sheets, 1 inch apart. Use a 1- to 1 1/4-inch plain round cutter to stamp out centers of 3-inch rounds. Gather scraps; roll out again, stamping out more wreaths. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake, rotating sheets and rack positions halfway through, until set and pale golden on bottoms, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week before decorating.
• Glaze and Decorations: Brush herbs with egg white; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Transfer to wire rack; let stand until stiff and dry, at least 1 hour or, loosely covered, up to 1 day. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. One at a time, dip cookie tops in glaze; lift and tilt slightly for a few seconds, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Transfer to wire rack; decorate with sugared herbs and candies. Let stand until set, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, between sheets of parchment, up to 2 days.

VENETIAN CORNMEAL COOKIES (ZALETI)

Steps:

• Combine currants and almond liqueur in a small bowl. Let soak until fruit is plump, 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolk, lemon zest, and vanilla. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. Add plumped currants and wet ingredients, gently stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into a flat square, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate 45 minutes or up to overnight.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to an 8-inch square, about 1/2 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut dough horizontally into 1-inch strips. Working with one strip at a time, cut crosswise on the bias into 5 equal diamonds (you should make 6 cuts). Reroll scraps once and form additional cookies, if desired. Transfer cookies to two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Lightly beat reserved egg white. Brush tops of cookies with egg white and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden around edges, about 22 minutes. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

CURRANT SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar.
• With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in currants. Make a well in center; add buttermilk and egg, and stir just until combined (do not overmix).
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Pat into an 8-inch disk. With a floured 2 1/4-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. Reroll and cut scraps once.
• Transfer to baking sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Brush rounds with milk; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.