Lemon Scented Sugar Cookies

It’s nearly Easter and my daughter has a special day planned for tomorrow. She and her daycare buddies and going to run around in their jammies, watch a movie and eat a special treat. What treat is this you ask? Sugar cookies in the shapes of bunnies of course.

Confused because sugar cookies have a fair amount of sugar but also a lot of eggs and butter? No need. Once again there’s a work around. These cookies aren’t as sweet as their lacto-ovo counterparts but they are just as crisp and delicious. In bunny form they’re totally adorable.

The process of making these cookies is time consuming but they are so cute when you’re done you won’t care. Clearly this batch of dough has been dedicated to rabbit-form but it could have just as easily been hippos or butterflies. It really doesn’t matter what you shape them into, they’ll be just as good.

Lemon Scented Sugar Cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart, makes 24, 3″ bunnies.
Prep time 5 minutes / Active time: 2.25 hours

For the dough:

1 cup or 2 sticks of Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened to room temperature
1 cup raw granulated sugar
1 cup course turbino sugar
1 serving tofu dessert
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of two lemons
4 cups all-purpose flour + more to flour work area
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 xanthum gum
1/2 tsp salt

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 325℉
2. Using a stand mixer, whip butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Should be a pale yellow.
3. Add vanilla. lemon juice and tofu dessert and beat again, until light and fluffy.
4. In a medium-size bowl, combine lemon zest, flour, salt. baking powder, baking baking soda and xanthum gum and sift or whisk all dry ingredients together.
5. Add to the butter and sugar mixture on lowest speed. Integrate the dry ingredients in a slow and steady stream until just combined. Cover and chill completely in refrigerator, about 45-50 minutes and up to a day in advance.
6. Once dough is chilled, divide into 4 sections. You may need to collect scraps left by cutter and roll out again. Generously flour workspace and roll each section of dough out to a 1/4 inch thick rounds . Cut out desired shapes, place on baking sheets and chill for another 15 minutes then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to get golden.
7. Repeat until all dough has been exhausted and enjoy!