Buttermilk Cookies - A Southern Belle

I love the story about these cookies and I love the cookies.  They are light and vanilla-y.  I like them so much I want to adopt them as the “It’s All Delicious” signature cookie.  But I can’t, these buttermilk babies really belong to Edna Lewis.   Back in January Gourmet came out with their Southern Cooking issue and in it they printed a long lost unpublished essay by Miss Lewis.  The essay was a tribute to the south in every way from the writers and musicians to the food and simple seasonal ingredients.  The flow of the story was lovely, soft and easy…like the south can be.  In the essay among so many southern traditions she mentioned buttermilk cookies.  But the story is that a recipe could not be found so Gourmet developed one.  It is as they said…“the cookie of your dreams.” And I agree. These cookies are light and crisp around the edges, very simple to make.  One of these days, I’ll change them up a little and substitute orange or lime zest for the lemon. I’m sure they will be delicious, but could never be a substitute for the simple treasured southern cookie that Edna Lewis used to make.

Buttermilk Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (room temp)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3-cup buttermilk (shaken)

Glaze

1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar

3 tablespoons buttermilk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk flour, zest, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well to incorporate.  Beat in vanilla.  Mix in the flour mixture and buttermilk on a low speed.  Beginning with the flour and alternating.  Mix until smooth. 

Drop tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets.  Bake until cookies are puffed and the edges are golden, about 12-15 minutes.  Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Mix together the glaze and drop onto warm cookies.  Let cool completely to set the glaze.

Makes about 5 dozen

Adapted from Gourmet, January 2008