Cookies with a Touch of Summer

Confession #1: This recipe is an accident of sorts. Sort of…

A few weeks back, I purposefully spent a weekend avoiding the grocery store, as I knew, were I to go, I would purchase a bag of chocolate chips-and likely also the few other ingredients I was short on for making cookies. And were I to purchase said ingredients, I would undoubtedly bake a couple dozen warm goodies without restraint. Furthermore, I knew that if I baked a couple dozen cookies, an inappropriately large portion of them would find their way into my stomach, for which I would later be remorseful.

Confession #2: My first and ONLY victory was avoiding the grocery store.

 

I wouldn’t allow myself to go shopping. Okay, okay. I asked my hubby to keep me from the grocery store at all costs. And his follow-through was admirable. But inevitably I was maniacal, and found myself in the pantry, iPhone in hand, googling the few ingredients I DID have available. I came up with a modified, 3-ingredient version of shortcake cookies, and they turned out pretty good. (disclaimer: I was desperate. just sayin’…) So I decided they might be worth sharing, pending a few improvements. And for fun, I enlisted the help of a fellow baking enthusiast and friend. As the saying goes… two bakesters are better than one!! Summer added her shine to my desperation’s inspiration, and Voila! We now can share with you a recipe for Lemon Shortcake Cookies- or as I’ve decided to call them…

Cookies with a Touch of Summer ;-)

INGREDIENTS

1 can sweetened condensed milk (I prefer Santini Organic)
1/3 cup organic pure lemon juice
1/2 cup stevia powder (or more to taste)
1 tsp salt (I like Real Salt or Celtic sea salt)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free is best)
1 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum (This stuff is spendy- I get Bob’s Red Mill brand at Fred Meyer)
3 egg whites
3 cups of flour*: 2 cups organic brown rice flour, 1 cup organic spelt flour (Spelt flour tends to be more digestible than whole wheat flours, however *the gluten-free/sensitive crowd may opt for all rice flour or other substitutes for spelt)
Raw sugar and Cinnamon for sprinkling

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together first seven ingredients, then add flours until dough is tacky enough to form cookies- may have to add a little extra. Spread two cookie sheets with parchment paper and drop spoonfuls of dough to make up to two dozen cookies. (depending on how large you like them:-) Sprinkle tops of cookies with sugar/cinnamon powder and bake 10-12 minutes. Place on rack to cool.