I think we should all sit down and have tea and cookies today. Tea and cookies and a little chat and laughter in the late afternoon sun. What do you think? Are you in?
In the past few days, my inbox has filled with emails from people with big, arms-up-in-the-air, life questions. If you’ll allow me to paraphrase, they go something like this:
Dear Joy,
This might sound totally weird and crazy, but I think I’m going to get laid off from my job soon, and I’ve always wanted to be a baker and I was wondering if you could tell me… what the heck to do next.
Sincerely yours,
Ok… first things first… let’s hug it out. That will help. Next, you should know, as I’m sure you already do, that I don’t have all the answers. Not even close. I am a firm believer in the idea that if you go after what you love, in a balls-out, take-no-prisoners kind of way, you succeed. Succeed? Heck yes! Because you’ll be ultra happy that you’re, in the very least, doing something you love.
So! If you want to be a baker… do it! Bake every day! Bake and bring cookies into the office job that might not be your favorite place in the world. Bake and try to sell to the coffee shop down the street. Bake and give it to the local homeless shelter. Bake and blog about it. Read books about baking. Talk to bakers about baking. Take a cheap cooking class at the community college. Ask to apprentice one (very early) morning at a local bakery. Dive in. It’s what I did, and if I can scratch out a living in the kitchen every month, I think you can too. On the real.
This concludes today’s installment of My Two Cents.
Now… how about cookies?
These Lemon Cloud cookies just about melt in your mouth. They’re simple and delicate with a slight bite and romantic texture. You can either flavor them with lemon or orange. I think they’re just heavenly served with a warm cup of tea.
Lemon Cloud Tea Cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon or orange extract
1 teaspoons finely grated lemon or orange zest
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low speed with the paddle until well mixed. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until light, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time. Batter may look broken and curdled. Beat in the extracts and zest.
Decrease the speed to low and beat in the flour. Remove the bowl from the mixer and give the dough a few good turns with your spatula to bring it all together.
Arrange rounded teaspoons of the dough on a pan lined with parchment paper. Space the balls about 2-inches apart. After all the cookies have been placed on the pan, flour a fork and press a crisscross design into the top of each mound of dough. Bake the cookies until they spread and become golden, about 20 minutes. Slide the parchment paper off the pan to cool completely.
Makes 48 tiny cookies.
Keep the cookies between sheets of wax paper in a plastic container with a tight lid.
{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
Today is the perfect day for a cup of tea and Joy’s wonderful lemon cookies.
The rainy season has officially started in Tokyo. It is warm, but it has been sprinkling all day. On my way home from the gym, I spotted some hydrangeas. Nothing says summer in Japan like warm rainy days and the appearance of my favorite flowers. All that is needed is some cloudy lemon tea cookies and a nice cup of tea.
I love this, love you attitude, love your cookies. Oh, and your adorable cup measures.
Oooohh these look delicious. The ‘cloud’ in the title makes me want to eat this noww..
Hey Joy, quick question – when you say keep them between pieces of wax paper do you mean like parchment paper or baking paper? Not sure what wax paper is called over here in Ireland as I haven’t ever seen it :)
Those look yummy! My mom loves anything citrus, I can’t wait to bake these for her when I get home for summer.
These look perfect for a lazy afternoon in :) And while I’m at it, I just wanted to say how much I adore those lil measuring cups/bowls!
You just made me happy! Bake Every Day! I love that. I love to bake and share and will definitely not be so shy about it. xoxo!
what a great post! love your two cents, and please keep them coming. in a nutshell, that was awesome advice for anyone who is thinking of being a baker, like me – just dive in! if you love it, you’ll stick. plus, yes those measuring cups are too adorable, but they look doubly adorable because no one can photograph them like you can!
That’s such great advice, and can be used for many things in life beyond baking! And those cookies, they do look heavenly, but I may have to save making them for a day when the sun actually does come out.
Oooh I want to make these now. I have another lemon cookie recipe that requires refrideration overnight – and I just don’t have the patience for that!
These look delicious, and I love how tiny they are. Just out of curiosity, why do you use lemon extract instead of lemon juice?
Agreed, these look so tasty but I have a question. Where did you get those measuring cups? They are just the cutest thing!
Holy shmoley, you took the words right out of my mouth! Er, the “balls out, take no prisoners” words ;) That’s exactly how I’m trying to live my life (check out my blog for more details) and the next time some doubting naysayer questions my plans, then I shall use your words in response! And yummy-looking cookies, by the way.
J
These look like they would be perfect with my daily cup of green tea! Thanks for another fantastic inspiration Joy!
LOL. I guess I’m not the only one :)
I love lemon cookies. A bit of sweet and sour, combined in the right way make for the most delicious of things. Kind of like life, I suppose!
Yum…these cookies look so good! I will be moving this recipe to the very top of my “to bake” list.
What a nice morning post :) That’s a good piece of advice for all of us! Too often, we end up treating our passions as ‘just a hobby’ instead of something viable and worthwhile and deserving of our time. I will happily join you all for tea & cookies this morning =D
I just made the perfect tea cookies the other day! I actually had to share them with far more people than I wanted to in order to not eat them all myself. There’s no afternoon sunshine to be seen around here, but it’s still perfect tea and cookies weather!
Hooray! I love it when you post citrus recipes!
Joy, you always brighten my day. I am going to make these RIGHT NOW! Seriously, I actually have all these ingredients. I love to bake and would love to turn it into a career. I live in Baton Rouge, LA and there are very strict laws about using the kitchen of your residence. It has to be separate kitchen area. Makes it impossible to start small (unless you bootleg). Seems like once you rent or purchase a kitchen separate from your home, you might as well open the whole bakery. Any tips for starting small?
You don’t know just how great it is to find this topic in your post today. For some many reasons, it is encouraging! :) And the fact that lemon cookies are in there is nice too. Thanks!
I love tea cookies!!! I don’t know how to make them and rarely see recipes to them. My favorite store brand is the English Tea Cookies with Vanilla inside…hint..hint…(if only someone could come up with the recipe to those cookies…) I’ve searched everywhere….if anyone can get them to taste just as good but with freshness it would be you. :)
I am feeling oh-so-blue today so I came to your blog to cheer me up…and just as I thought, it has provided some warmth and inspiration. Things can feel rubbish sometimes and although reading your blog doesn’t make the rubbish things suddenly disappear it does make things feel a bit better and lemon cookies make the world seem more comforting…hurrah!
great tips for those out there that want to do anything they love. you are an inspiration.
i was laid off last july and took the leap to open a pet supply and bakery.
i love to bake for humans – and do that on the side for extra $ – but also have a line of 10+ dog biscuits i bake for my store.
i love what i do – its a lot of work, but its all mine.
your blog makes me happy. and inspires me to tell the world about what i love and am doing.
thanks for being cool
nicole
immortal dog
seattle
MMmm.I love your measuring cups, those are ace.
is there anything that can replace lemon or orange extract?
i dont have anyyy :(
Seriously, this looks like the perfect cookie for me right at this exact minute. Damn.
Ooh, looks like I’m going on a citrus buying binge today!
I hope you’re right and I can make a go of this stuff eventually!!
Hi, Joy! Thanks for the recipe! I think I’ll make them in the morning. (I adore the name.)
If you don’t mind me jumping in and answering one of your reviewers for you….Ally, Ireland does not have waxed paper; parchment or baking paper will do. As an American living in Limerick, I gave great amusement/befuddlement to the nice people in Tesco by trying to describe waxed paper. A few months after that I grossed them out by trying to buy canned pumpkin to make pies! laughing It was an adventure!
Your lemon cookies look like they would hit the spot for me. Just like your no-nonsense, go-for-it attitude. Have you heard lately that you are awesome? You are.
I’ve been thinking about investing in the Modern Baker for a while now, and these cookies have definitely pushed me over the edge–not in a bad way. I think I’m definitely going to have to get the book now. These cookies look perfect. I wish we could sit and have tea and cookies and talk about baking some more.
Oh Joy! These just came out of the oven at my house, here in Adelaide, Australia. I used limes (as I had a whole bag to use up) and vanilla essence instead of extract and they’re perfect.
I only discovered your gorgeous website recently and am smitten!
I made a chocolate cornmeal cake today. It looks.. odd.
I wish I made these cookies instead.
Hmm.
;o)
I heart lemon! I was drinking tea while reading your post, wishing for a little morsel like that for accompaniment. I’ve only recently stumbled onto your site and it’s quickly become one of my favs. Keep up what you’re doing!
Dear Joy,
Would you please stop posting such delicious treats – my favorite flavor, lemon, nonetheless? My waistline will be thankful. :)
These look so delicate, Joy! Love them!
Cookies and hugs solve all problems… it’s so true. If you have any interest in awesome earrings come check out my blog for an awesome giveaway! :)
ooh lemony cookies — say no more – these look fabulous!! i’ll have to make them soon.
i made these cookies this afternoon. although i did not have them with tea (it’s about 86 degrees out) they were nothing short of perfect! i used the juice of half a lemon since i did not have lemon extract and dusted with powdered sugar. hope there’s enough for the husband when he gets home :)
Mine are in the oven right now. If the cookie dough is any indication of how good they’ll taste then they are baked, they’re going to be delish! Thank you!
Joy, I love your site! I made your Strawberry cake the other week and it was delicious! Where are the blue measuring cups from in the picture above? They are adorable and I want some for my kitchen! :)
Deeply flavored taste I love this cookies perfect with tea..
Thanks for sharing this recipe:)
And I can visit you if you can visit me:)
Welcome!
foodcreate
i’m in for tea and cookies and sunshine for sure! nice post, go get it!
thanks for this wonderful recipe which really make my day! :D
my frens who came over to visit me love this so much!!!
yum, I love everything lemon-related! also, I recognize those pretty measuring cups…saw them for sale at Anthropologie, love the colors.
About a month ago I resigned from a job at a botanic garden that I loved and hated. I loved the work in my job description, hated have so much extra work not in my job description, and really hated the commute. Now I am trying to focus on those aspects of being a native plant/sustainable garden expert that I love doing. I am working hard at it, enjoying it, and hoping to make some money at it.
an inspiring post and recipe! as a grad student, i’m not too worried (yet) about the job scene, but i am thinking about starting a blog! thanks for the inspiration!
Oooooh yummy! I’ve been wanting to have a few girlfriends over for a tea party and I think these will be perfect! They look amazing!
These look fantastic! Now I want a tea party on my front lawn with three friends and a batch of these. And your little blue measuring cups are adorable~
Lemon??? Yummy!!! Being a lover of all things citrus, these look absolutely scrumptious.
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