A tender lemon cookie, covered with lemon frosting and a sprinkling of pistachio nuts; you’ll get a burst of fresh lemon with every delicious bite.

Lemon Ring Cookies

Ingredients:

Dough:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Lemon Icing and Nut Garnish:

1½ cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup pistachio nuts, finely chopped

Tip: Use a citrus zester and citrus juicer for fresh zest and freshly squeezed juice. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.

Directions:

Dough:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Baking sheets may be ungreased, lined with parchment paper, or lined with a non-stick baking mat.
   
   
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Whisk together to mix. Set aside.
   
   
3. In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt butter. Remove from heat and cool.

Tip: Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a simmer. Turn the heat off and place a stainless steel, ceramic, or glass bowl on top of the hot water, the upper pan should not touch the water.

4. Add sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice to cooled butter; stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until well mixed.
   
   
5. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; mix with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer to form a smooth dough.
   
   
6. On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1/8 inch to ¼ inch thickness. Cut dough with a round 2½ inch scalloped cookie cutter that has been dipped in flour (to help prevent dough from sticking to the cutter.) Cut out the center with a ½ inch round or scalloped cookie cutter. Re-roll and cut out the scraps.
   
   Bake:
7. Place cutout dough 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are set and the edges are very lightly browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets with a metal spatula and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
   
   Lemon Icing and Nut Garnish:
8. In a small mixing bowl, combine confectioner's sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and stir until smooth. Add additional 1 tablespoon of lemon juice if needed to make a good spreading consistency.
   
   
9. Spread icing over cooled cookies. Sprinkle with a few chopped pistachio nuts before the frosting sets. Tip: Ice one cookie at a time, then immediately sprinkle nuts on top, and then set on a wire cooling rack for icing to set.
   
   Makes about 3 dozen cookies
   
   TheBakingPan.com
   
   Adapted from: Wolter, Annette, Teubner, Christian, Best of Baking, Fisher Publishing, 1980________________________________________________
   

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