Lemon Sugar Snaps

Considering my love of cookies, I really don't make them very often.  This past week I finally made some cookies, but it was by complete fluke.  I was planning on making a strawberry rhubarb crumble after my mom had raved about a pie she had just eaten.  But when I got to the store, the strawberries looked terrible, and there was no fresh rhubarb.  However, once I had scrapped that idea, I forgot to put back the lemon that the recipe called for.  I got home, realized I had a lemon, and quickly thought of something to make: Lemon Sugar Snaps!  I've made these cookies before from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook but I didn't remember much about them at all except that they were good.

I only had enough lemon for half of the recipe, which is a good thing (as Martha would say) because two people don't need to eat a whole gob of cookies.  As you know from previous posts, paying attention is sometimes my downfall and so halving recipes is dangerous.

When I got done making the "dough" I was worried because it had the consistency of icing: very soft and fluffy.  It was like the ratio of butter to flour was off.  I was absolutely positive that I had halved everything correctly, so I was confused as to why the dough was not dough-like.  It chilled in the fridge overnight and I was kept up late thinking about what I could have possibly done wrong.  I thought I had figured it out.  Maybe instead of grabbing the 1/2 measuring cup, I grabbed the 1/3, and that's why it seemed like there wasn't enough flour!  I went in the kitchen and checked (did you think I had cleaned up my mess?) but I had used the correct measuring cup.  I was baffled.  I must've done everything right, so maybe there was something wrong with the recipe.

The next day the dough had solidified and was basically the texture of a stick of butter.  I scooped it out and grossly underestimated the amount of space these cookies needed to bake.  When I pulled the first batch out of the oven, four of the cookies had spread into each other!  I wasn't trying to win a beauty contest though so I learned from my mistake and spaced the next batch better.

They turned out delicious (greasy but delicious.)  Why did I ever doubt Martha Stewart?