Liz Lemon Cookies (and What Baking Has to Do With Style)
I bake to think about clothes. It may seem like an odd combination, but I find that baking is a way to problem solve. It’s not that I’m necessarily a great baker. In fact, I’ve caught my oven on fire numerous times and still can’t make an edible loaf of bread to save my life. Instead, baking is a way for me to think about clients, writing, life, and next steps with business without actually engaging with clothing.
It’s very similar to taking a shower. Have you ever been stuck with a problem and found that you came out of the shower with a great idea or answer? Somehow the back of your mind continues to work even though you are engaging with another task and poof! the answer reveals itself.
This weekend I baked lemon cookies.
(It’s amazing what a bag of lemons can do for a room. Placing them all in a bowl just cheers up everything.)
I found the below recipe for Lemon Tea Cookies on the blog My Madison Bistro, but I have renamed them Liz Lemon cookies.
Why Liz Lemon Cookies?
- 30 Rock was playing in the background when I started baking.
- I just finished Tina Fey’s autobiography, Bossypants. (Go get it. It’s a fantastic read.)
- Her character, Liz Lemon, is open, smart, beautiful, and self-deprecating. Which is a great combination. Kind of like all the ingredients in this cookie.
- I couldn’t read the title of the recipe without matching “Lemon Tea Cookies” with “Liz Lemon.”
Okay, so really these cookies have nothing to do with Tina Fey, but trust me when I say they are tart in a sassy kind of way and completely irresistible.
Liz Lemon Tea Cookies
for the cookies
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/3 c. confectioners sugar
for the frosting
3/4 c. confectioners sugar, sifted
1/4 c. unsalted cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Cream butter, lemon zest, and juice until fluffy.In a separate bowl sift dry ingredients and mix into butter on low speed.
Divide in half. Shape each half into a 8×1 inch log and roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Cut into 1/4 inch rounds. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool and frost.
The texture of this cookie is delightful. They dissolve on your tongue.
Did I figure out my fashion / writing / client / business questions while baking? Well, sort of. I came away with a few new ideas. And lots of great cookies.
Love Tina Fey! Bossypants was fabulous; I listened to the audiobook version, which she read, and that made it even funnier.
I find I get my thinking done either a) in the shower or b) while gardening. Focusing the lizard brain on a simple activity allows the higher brain to roam free.
Oooh – listening to the audiobook for Bossypants = such a great idea. Bet it was hilarious!
Love it that you have those things that let your “lizard brain” work! I haven’t tried gardening before, but I can see how it would have the same sort of results. You are involved with creating something, but it releases a part of your mind to problem solve in other areas. That’s fantastic.
Pingback: Baking & Business « True to Style