I've given up trying to find liquid buttermilk because it isn't always available in the stores in my area. I've switched to dried "cultured buttermilk blend." It's sold in the baking aisle and is convenient because you use as much as you need. If you're using dried buttermilk, follow the package's directions to determine how much dried buttermilk you need to make ⅓ cup of liquid. Sift the dried buttermilk with the other dry ingredients, and then add ⅓ cup of cold water when the recipe calls for the buttermilk. Alternatively, if you don't have buttermilk, you can measure out the ⅓ cup of milk, squeeze some lemon juice into it, and then let it sit for a few minutes. You may also want to zest the lemon directly into the batter so you don't loose any of the oils. The cocoa powder that I use is Natural High Fat Cocoa from Penzeys Spices.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share.
Cookie Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
Zest of one lemon
⅓ cup low-fat buttermilk
Icing Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Lyle's Golden Syrup (or corn syrup)
Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 2½ teaspoons)
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Yields 4½ dozen cookies if you drop them on the cookie sheet by 1½ teaspoonfuls.
Assemble and Bake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. Cream the butter for 2 minutes, add the granulated sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes, or until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest, and beat until just incorporated. Add the flour mixture in three stages, alternating with the buttermilk. The last addition will be buttermilk.
Drop the cookies about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet by 1 ½ teaspoonfuls (use a 1 ½ teaspoon cookie scoop if you have it; if not, then use a spoon to scoop up about 1 ½ teaspoons worth of dough). Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms are golden, rotating the sheets halfway through. Remove the cookies from the oven, place the cookie sheet on a rack, and allow the cookies to cool directly on the cookie sheet.
Ice:
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, Lyle's Golden Syrup (or corn syrup), lemon juice, vanilla, and the water until smooth. The consistency should be slightly thicker than honey; if it is too thick, add more water a ½ tablespoon at a time. Transfer half of the icing to a separate bowl, and stir in the cocoa powder. Add more water if you need it. Cover the chocolate icing with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out, and set aside. Take the remaining white icing, add in the teaspoon of lemon extract, and vigorously stir it for about 30 seconds to fully incorporate the extract and thicken the icing a bit.
First, ice all of the cookies with the white icing. Spread some of the white icing over just a little more than half of the flat side of each cookie. Then, starting with the cookies that you put the white icing on first, cover the other half of the flat side of the cookie with the chocolate icing, overlapping just a little bit onto the white icing so you don't have a gap between the icings. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes until the frosting is set. It may take a little longer depending on the thickness of the icing layer. Once set, store the cookies between layers of parchment or wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Pin It
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