Sourpuss Turned Sweet
My last post didn’t publish correctly… I was thanking you for all of the thoughtful comments you left on my sweet and sneaky veggie series! I also asked what vegetables you’d like to see in the next sequel series, so please leave a comment with your requests!
And now on to fruits…
Everyone I know owns a lemon tree. My coworkers, my parents, the mailman, the speedy grocery cashier, that one house on my morning running route… Everyone but me.
I sulked for a while over that fact. They were so lucky; they could walk outside and pick citrus any time a lemonade, lemon bar, or lemon meringue pie craving hit. Me, I had to plan ahead for my cravings to ensure I wrote “lemons” on my weekly grocery list.
But then the light bulb in my brain flickered on…
Those trees sprout more than enough fruit to feed an entire army as it is. Most of the lemons ripened too quickly and fall to the ground to rot, where they’re attacked by ants. So maybe, to prevent unnecessary lemon suffering, my friends would give me their extras.
My hypothesis worked! A coworker lugged in a grocery bag full of lemons and plopped in on his desk for me to enjoy. And I immediately drove home to bake cookies.
Blueberry Lemon Cookies
modified from this recipe
makes about 2 dozen
These taste even better if you let them sit in an airtight container overnight! Top with a little cream cheese for an extra tang.
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ c. plain nonfat Greek yogurt
½ c. sugar
1 egg white
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon zest (about 2 small or 1 medium lemon)
½ c. blueberries
- Preheat the oven to 375°, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the yogurt and sugar. Add in the egg white, vanilla, and lemon zest, mixing well. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- NOTE: At this point, if the dough is too sticky to work with, refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until slightly firmer. You won’t be able to shape or roll the dough out though!
- Using two spoons, drop a spoonful of dough onto the prepared sheets, repeating with the remaining dough. Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes, or until firm. Cool on the pan for 5 min before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Hannah @ Dispatches from the Gypsy Roller replied:
These look delicious – blueberry and lemon is one of my favourite flavour combinations 🙂
February 4, 2013 at 12:53 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
Thank you! Blueberries and lemons do work really well together. I mixed them into a muffin batter once, and I’m pretty sure I ate all 12 by myself…
February 4, 2013 at 4:46 pm. Permalink.
Hannah @ Dispatches from the Gypsy Roller replied:
I’m sure I would have done the same 😉
February 4, 2013 at 5:50 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
It’s a hard life, isn’t it? :]
February 4, 2013 at 6:51 pm. Permalink.
IRENA & dots replied:
These would look as perfect couple to my morning white coffee 😉
February 4, 2013 at 12:56 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
I’d gladly give some to you! I’m not much of a coffee expert; what is white coffee? I’ve only heard of it served black (or mixed into one of those fancy latte or macchiato drinks).
February 4, 2013 at 4:47 pm. Permalink.
Liz replied:
cute photos–like the cookies sitting on the lemons. Coming from Minnesota, I can’t even imagine having a citrus tree in your yard. Or at least to know someone nearby who does. envy envy envy! (in a friendly way, of course:-))
February 4, 2013 at 1:23 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
Thanks! I had a fun time trying to get the cookies and lemons to balance… Imagine lemons rolling all over the tabletop and nearly squashing the cookies! ;]
I’ve decided that I really want a lemon tree in my future backyard. A friend of mine suggested planting one now in a pot so that it’d be nearly full-grown by the time I could buy a house!
February 4, 2013 at 4:49 pm. Permalink.
fkampf replied:
These will be perfect when spring arrives!
February 4, 2013 at 1:34 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
So true! And didn’t the groundhog fail to see his shadow? So spring should be arriving soon this year! ;]
February 4, 2013 at 4:50 pm. Permalink.
noodle21 replied:
Those look delicious! Can you use frozen blueberries?
February 4, 2013 at 7:47 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
Probably! I haven’t tried with frozen, but it should work just fine if you thaw them out before mixing them into the cookie dough. It’s worth trying, especially right now when blueberries aren’t exactly in season!
February 4, 2013 at 7:57 pm. Permalink.
Brittany replied:
I am convinced that blueberry and lemon were made to go together in cookies, cakes, pies, and all things sweet!! These look delicious.
February 5, 2013 at 10:27 am. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
I hadn’t thought of pies — that’s brilliant! Maybe some sort of lemon custard with blueberries on top? Or maybe I could mix the blueberries into the crust! Hmm…
February 5, 2013 at 10:54 am. Permalink.
BekAtCrave replied:
Haha planting a seed in another’s brain works out so well doesn’t it 😛 Sneaky and smart 😉
February 6, 2013 at 1:52 am. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
Thanks! I figured it was a win-win — I gave that coworker a baker’s dozen of these cookies!
February 6, 2013 at 11:16 am. Permalink.
thesensiblescrap replied:
Hi! You have a fabulous blog, so I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! If you’d like to participate, here are the rules:
http://thesensiblescrap.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
February 6, 2013 at 8:32 am. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
That’s so sweet of you; thank you!! I’m really touched that you’d nominate me.
February 6, 2013 at 11:18 am. Permalink.
snati001 replied:
I love that you use Greek yogurt in this yummy-looking cookie. I’m not much of a fan of yogurt except for Greek yogurt 🙂
February 6, 2013 at 12:20 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
Greek yogurt is definitely my favorite yogurt too! I love how thick it is — and how much protein I can get! I like to mix in a little jam or peanut butter to flavor it sometimes too.
February 6, 2013 at 12:39 pm. Permalink.
Melisa R replied:
These really do look delicious. I have to try them!
February 6, 2013 at 12:48 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
Thanks; I hope you enjoy them! I know I did… I ate 6 in less than 4 hours after taking them out of the oven! (I told myself they were healthy so I didn’t feel quite so guilty…)
February 6, 2013 at 3:35 pm. Permalink.
More Than Greens replied:
The photo with the cookie dough on top of the lemons is too cute!
And the cookies look delicious. =)
February 6, 2013 at 2:29 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
Thank you! It was interesting trying to get all of the lemons in a line and the cookies balanced on top… I nearly had cookies rolling all over the table and getting squashed by the lemons!
February 6, 2013 at 3:41 pm. Permalink.
Rachael (Fuji Mama) replied:
So glad you enjoyed them!
February 7, 2013 at 1:06 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
I couldn’t stop eating them; they were just too good! I hope you don’t mind that I combined the lemon flavor in the frosting into the cookie instead. I absolutely loved them, so thank you for sharing the recipe!
February 7, 2013 at 3:33 pm. Permalink.
gilbydan replied:
Trying these……NOW! These seriously look amazing. Can’t wait to try.
February 19, 2013 at 2:03 pm. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
I hope you enjoy them! I certainly did — I ate 6 as soon as they popped out of the oven! (I justified it by reminding myself how much yogurt and blueberries were in them… Two really healthy ingredients, right?)
February 19, 2013 at 3:58 pm. Permalink.
ArunaAdvaney replied:
These look great!
Is it okay to use the whole egg? I don’t care about the calories or cholesterol in the yolk, but will leaving the yolk in ruin the consistency? Also, can I use frozen blueberries?
Thanks.
February 20, 2013 at 11:17 am. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
Thank you!
I haven’t tried using the whole egg, mainly because I was trying to keep these fat-free, but I’m sure it’d be just fine. If they turn out slightly runny, you could try adding a touch more flour or refrigerating the dough until it reaches a more workable consistency.
Frozen blueberries should work wonderfully. Hope this helps!
February 20, 2013 at 11:21 am. Permalink.
ArunaAdvaney replied:
Wow, that was fast! Thanks! 🙂
February 20, 2013 at 11:27 am. Permalink.
foods for the soul replied:
You’re welcome! I’d love to hear how the recipe modifications turn out if you decide to try it. :]
February 20, 2013 at 11:29 am. Permalink.