Oh no Just 47 weeks until Christmas

 The 47th week until Christmas has now passed and along with the passing came a new month. So now it is officially just 11 months until Christmas. I have got to get busy!!!

I know this song is not about Christmas, but when I was young I really did like Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. Even though the song is about the Vietnam War the name is appropriate for the post, even if the song itself isn't.

Not much is going on in the Christmas prep week.

During the holidays I like to have assorted cookie trays  to set out for guests. Of course this past Christmas I did no baking and I missed it. We were sick and did no entertaining either which made having no cookie trays a moot point anyway.

I am also getting tired of the same old cookies I usually bake.  

Instead of waiting till the holidays to try new recipes I intend to do it all year long to see what might make the cut. 

I will be reducing the recipes in half or fourths, because we don't need too many cookies available with just the two of us here. Or maybe I will make full batches and just give them away to friends. 

I did try a new to me cookie recipe this past week. . I had a bunch of lemons that needed to be juiced while they were still at their peak, so making something using them was a no brainer.

Lemon shortbread found here,  but copied and pasted below if you don't want to hit the link.

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice (Needs more zest )*

coarse sanding or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest and juice on medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until the flour is incorporated. (I used a bowl and a wooden spoon, it worked perfectly fine)

On a piece of parchment, press the dough together firmly to form a rectangular block, 12 by 2 by 1 inches (use a ruler or metal spatula to square off the sides).  (Did not do this at all, just shaped the dough with my hands and kind of banged it on a cutting board to make it somewhat squarish) Wrap in the parchment and refrigerate until firm, about 3 to 4 hours. (Did I let it chill even one minute? No! Why? Patience is not one of my virtues.)

Heat oven to 350°F. Cut the dough into ⅓-inch-thick slices and place on baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart; sprinkle with the coarse sugar. (I had no white sanding sugar and used granulated. I think the coarse sugar would work much better)

Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through until the edges begin to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

* This are not a terribly sweet cookie, but they are sweet enough. My only issue was the lemon flavor was not sharp enough for me.  I will make this at Christmas anyway. They will be a tasty, quick and easy cookie for the  platter with just a few alterations.  In addition to doubling the zest, I will most likely make a tart lemon icing and pipe it on the cooled cookie to make it look like a bow and ribbon, just to give it a tad more tartness.

And just in case you are wondering,  I have not found the female brunette caroler that I still need.  

I  have not touched the room with Christmas stuff strewn all about that is waiting for me to get my rear in gear,  organize it, and put it away. The biggest disadvantage to having this house is my ability to shut the door to that upstairs room and totally ignore it, 

At one time it was my office, then it became Pip's room, then a craft room for DIL3 during the covid  restrictions. Now it is just a catch all room. 

I really need to just tackle it, but I am obviously just not feeling it! 

Ho, Ho Hum! Maybe this week!