Many, many moons ago, I cut out this recipe from a newspaper and stashed it in a heap of other clippings, doomed to be forever lost in one of those "someday" organization projects that never happen. But somehow it extricated itself just in time for a cookie exchange party. I wanted an unusual recipe, and this definitely cut the mustard. Er, well, not mustard, but the odd spice it uses isn't far off.
I had some technical difficulties though. The recipe calls for the dough to be rolled into a cylinder, frozen, then cut into slices. Being an amateur at sliced cookie recipes, I have yet to find a way to prevent a flat spot at the bottom of the roll, making for elliptical-shaped cookies. I need to invent a gadget for that.
And try as I might, I can't make the rolls cylindrical, there's always tapering at the ends. I doubt there is a gadget for that.
Then being frozen, the dough too easily flaked off as I was cutting it. I needed a much sharper knife than I used at first. Finally, the gadget.
Mechanical issues aside, overall this was an easy and fun recipe, and made for a light cookie, if bland in appearance. But how would you know that since I failed to photograph the result before I gave them all away?
And flavor? Tons. The plain appearance doesn't prepare you for the powerful and unexpected cumin, which doesn't mask, and indeed enhances, the lemon. Every lemon cookie recipe I've made has barely a hint of lemon, but this just about stands up and whacks you upside the head. They certainly make for an interesting and unusual -- and very grown-up -- combination.
(Indeed, I never thought I'd see the day when my almost-4-year-old son would reject any cookie. This kid crunches raw cauliflower for a snack, and devours baked dill tilapia. Kids don't get much more flexible than this one, and he didn't like it. Score!)
This is one for a special occasion. What occasion exactly, I can't say yet.
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