So I had this really great idea to create some beautifully laced and delicately lemoned snowflake sugar cookies.

My intent was to create this gorgeousness through the use of a lace doily, rolled atop my lemony sugar cookie dough.

All intentions aside, the taste of the tea cookies is phenomenal – let’s face it, we are playing with lemon here –

But, much to my chagrin, I simply couldn’t make the display into something pleasant.

MOST of the time I can make things work.

This time was not one of those times.

I believe my oopsies were in the fact that:

• the dough was too warm
• the doily needed to be oiled in order not to stick
• the pan placement was too close
• the decorative pearls should have been added before baking

So, if you turn the above four items around ~ you’ll be golden…I mean “lemon.”

Lemon Lace Snowflake Cookies

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
decorative “pearls” (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just blended. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Roll the dough on a flour dusted work surface and cut into snowflakes or any other type of design.
Decorate with pastry “pearls.”

Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.