Thyme, Hazelnut and Lemon Cookies

Lemon thyme, hazelnuts and lemon zest work together to flavor the dough for these slice and bake cookies. Then a squiggle of tart Lemon Icing finishes Thyme, Hazelnut and Lemon Cookies with a touch of easy elegance. So much more than just a bright complement to an assortment of holiday sweets, these little gems stand alone as a welcome treat in any season.

A New Cookie with Hazelnuts and Lemon Thyme

What fun is a cookie baking marathon without at least one new recipe?

This year’s addition to my holiday baking lineup is Thyme, Hazelnut and Lemon Cookies. These little gems are based on a recipe I cut from the newspaper some time ago. I found it stashed away in my files, untried but still intriguing. With lemon thyme on hand, as well as some delicious looking hazelnuts, I decided to give this recipe a try.

I’m glad I did! I was intrigued by the combination of flavors suggested in the recipe and the way these flavors came together and complemented each other created a delicious and unusual cookie. This unique recipe turned out to be a great way to feature hazelnuts, a locally grown treasure in the Pacific Northwest. It is also an interesting way to use thyme, a personal favorite.

A Cookie Tray of Contrasting Flavors

These cookies turned out to be a good choice for several reasons. Their light color and touch of frosting contrasts nicely with the cookies I’ve already baked this season. Nestled beside crisp-chewy Chocolate Crinkles, festive Russian Teacakes, spicy Ginger Cookie Sticks and soft squares of creamy Peanut Butter Fudge they complete a pretty presentation. The flavors of lemon thyme and hazelnut topped with zesty lemon icing also adds a bright and unexpected note of citrus to my cookie tray.

Even better, these delightful cookies are relatively easy to make. I sometimes forget how convenient slice and bake cookies can be, especially during the holidays. Like Cinnamon Coffee Crisps, the dough for these cookies goes together quickly. Then, once it is chilled, it waits until you are ready to do the baking. At that point the dough slices quickly. Since the slices need only an inch between cookies they require fewer baking cycles than many recipes. A final squiggle of icing once the cookies are cool is quickly completed and makes these cookies look especially nice.

Slice and Bake or Cutouts?

To wrap up my holiday baking I used one half of my Thyme and Hazelnut cookie dough for cutouts rather than slice and bake cookies. I’m not sure I would do it again, but in the moment I wanted at least a few cutout cookies for my Christmas Cookie tray. Not quite as simple as slice and bake cookies, I think these star-shaped cutouts were worthwhile.

In either case, Thyme, Hazelnut and Lemon Cookies are a new favorite in my kitchen. These appealing cookies turned out to be more than just a bright complement to a festive assortment of holiday sweets. Easy to make and uniquely delicious, these little gems easily stand alone as a welcome treat in any season. I am already thinking they will be a great addition to a spring luncheon, or perfect in summer with a tall glass of iced tea.

Thyme, Hazelnut and Lemon Cookies

Course: Cookies and CandyCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

90

small cookies

Prep time

25

minutes

Baking time

45

minutes

Chilling time

4

hours

These cookies not only add a nice complement to an assortment of holiday cookies but also stand alone as a welcome treat in any season.

Ingredients

• Cookies:

• 1 3/4 cups flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

• 2 teaspoons lemon peel

• Lemon Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

• Cookies:
• In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in toasted hazelnuts. Set aside.
• In a larger bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Continue beating while you add the egg, lemon juice, thyme and lemon peel.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
• Divide dough into two equal portions. Form each into a long rope approximately 12 inches long and 1 – 1 1/2 inches wide. Cover each rope with waxed paper and form the dough into a square. Place the dough in the refrigerator for several hours, until firm. (At this point the dough may be kept in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to a month.)
• When you are ready to bake the cookies preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick slices and place them about 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 10 – 12 minutes, or until just slightly brown. Cool on racks.
• Drizzle with Lemon Icing.
• Lemon Icing:
• Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add more lemon juice, a few drops at a time, until you reach a consistency that will drizzle easily but not run.
• Spoon icing into a sandwich-size ziploc storage bag and seal. Snip 1/8 -1/4 inch from one lower corner of the bag and use to pipe a drizzled line of icing on each cookie using a back and forth motion.
• Allow icing to dry completely before storing between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Notes

• Recipe Source: An old magazine clipping.
• If you prefer to make cut-out cookies, form each portion of dough into a thick disc, instead of a rope, in Step 4 above. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When the dough is chilled remove discs of cookie dough, one at a time, and place on a floured work surface. Roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Flour cookie cutters and cut dough into shapes. Place the shapes one inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake as directed.