Lemon-Thyme Cookies

Always looking for ways to bring my garden into my kitchen, I found a recipe for Lemon-Thyme Cookies

I have lemons and I have thyme!

They taste like buttery shortbread cookies which are a favorite of mine. These have a hint of lemon... couldn't really taste the thyme, but I was glad to use it. Means the cookies are healthy right???

Lemon-Thyme Cookies

1/2 cup butter softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

coarse sugar or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter in a medium mixing bowl on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in thyme, lemon peel, lemon juice, and cardamom. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Knead until smooth; form dough into a ball.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion in a 6x4&1/2-inch rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough in 1&1/2-inch squares with a scallop-edge pastry wheel. (I rolled out the dough and used a heart cookie cutter) Sprinkle cutouts with coarse sugar. Place cutouts on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are just lightly brown. Makes 36 cookies.

 Perfect for Valentine's Day