Lemon-Thyme Cookies

Always looking for ways to bring my garden into my kitchen, I found a recipe for Lemon-Thyme Cookies

I have lemons and I have thyme!

They taste like buttery shortbread cookies which are a favorite of mine. These have a hint of lemon... couldn't really taste the thyme, but I was glad to use it. Means the cookies are healthy right???

Lemon-Thyme Cookies

1/2 cup butter softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

coarse sugar or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter in a medium mixing bowl on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in thyme, lemon peel, lemon juice, and cardamom. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Knead until smooth; form dough into a ball.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion in a 6x4&1/2-inch rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough in 1&1/2-inch squares with a scallop-edge pastry wheel. (I rolled out the dough and used a heart cookie cutter) Sprinkle cutouts with coarse sugar. Place cutouts on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are just lightly brown. Makes 36 cookies.

 Perfect for Valentine's Day

Soups On!

I have been inspired to warm up my home by Teresa at Meadowbrook Farm making her chicken noodle soup and Kerrie at the Sea Cottage baking her oatmeal cookies. Since I have all the ingredients on hand I will make my...

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup diced green pepper and red pepper

1 cup chopped celery

2 tbps olive oil

2 cups chicken stock (add 1/2 cup more later if the chowder is too thick)

1 1/2 - 2 cups half-and-half milk (small container)

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

1 can Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup

4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed (shown with yellow corn, but white corn is even better)

4 tbsp Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

2 lb bag of Costco raw frozen shrimp, thawed and shelled (cut them in half so they are bite-size)

chopped cilantro

pepper

-In a medium stockpot, heat oil and saute onion, peppers and celery about 10 minutes, stirring.

-Add hot chicken stock, half and half milk, and potatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are just tender, 15 minutes.

-Add can of cream of potato soup, corn, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring back to a simmer about 10 minutes.

-Add shrimp and cilantro, simmer until shrimp is cooked. Season with pepper.

Enjoy with some warm crusty sourdough bread!




The chicken noodle soup recipe can be found at:
http://themeadowbrookblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/chicken-noodle-soup.html
and the oatmeal cookie recipe at:
http://seacottage.blogspot.com/2011/01/bakingwarming-home.html
I have yet to learn the "here" feature!