Food Friday: Buttermilk Lemon Cookies

It's been a while since I had a Food Friday posting but inspiration struck this week, so Food Friday is back.  I had some people over on Monday and I served iced tea, lemonade, and cookies.  There was simple syrup on hand for those who like their tea sweetened and I wanted a cookie that would go nicely with sweet tea.

I set out looking for an old-fashioned cakey cookie; one that isn't too sweet.  At Epicurious, I found a recipe from Gourmet for buttermilk cookies.  I adapted the recipe to suit my own evil purposes and behold: Buttermilk Lemon Cookies.

They are easy to make and the recipe makes 4 dozen, so you'll have enough to share, if you are so inclined.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened (I use salted butter)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For glaze 

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 teaspoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. 

Whisk together flour, zest, baking soda, and salt. 

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl in mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches.  Dough should be smooth; add a bit more flour to ensure consistency if necessary. 

Drop level tablespoons of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake on rack in middle of the oven.  Bake one cookie sheet at a  time to ensure even cooking, until cookie edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes per batch. Cool cookies on sheets 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks. 

To glaze the cookies, whisk together all glaze ingredients and brush on to the top of the warm cookies. 

Let stand until cookies are completely cooled and glaze is set.  

Hint:   You could substitute lime zest and juice for the lemon and then you'd have Buttermilk Lime Cookies.  Either way, they taste awesome with some sweet tea.