Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Citrus Glitters #creativecookieexchange

Sweet and tangy, these two-biters are a colourful addition to any cookie platter!

Glittering Citrus and White Chocolate Cherry cookies! #yummy #yum #vegetarian #sweet #cooking #baking #Xmas #cookies #dessert #eeeats

I love when the weather gets warm enough for the plants in my garden to thrive. While the common saying around here is "plant on the May 24 weekend", the last few years (this one included) have been so messed up weatherwise that I'm just glad to have greenery at all! I know Summer has truly arrived when the herbs take off, though - and when they do, oh boy does the garden smell heavenly!

While my herb selection varies slightly year to year, there are always two plants I make sure to include in my planning: catnip and lemon balm. Catnip is an obvious choice to those who know my family and our bevy of felines - there is nothing funnier than watching them with their "leaves"! Lemon balm is my personal favourite - I love anything lemony, and a few leaves torn into salad, ground into pesto or stuffed into a chicken add such a light kiss of flavour.

Recently, I started toying with the idea of using lemon balm in desserts. Rather, I should say I thought about using it in desserts again - after making these cookies I discovered that I had actually made almost the exact same recipe back in 2011 (that version, though, is gluten free). I don't remember the flavour of those ones, but these were phenomenal - the right amount of lemon flavour with a hint of "green" herbal notes, texture from cornmeal and coarse sugar and a melt-in-your-mouth experience due to the low gluten content of the dough. This batter was even delicious unbaked... not that I advocate that necessarily (but quality control!!).

That said, I still consider these to be more of a "grown up" cookie. The little ones just might not want anything to do with the bits of green in their treats!

All those beautiful herbs growing in the garden are our inspiration this month’s #CreativeCookieExchange. We tend to think of herbs as an ingredient for savory dishes, but they are truly wonderful in baked goods too. Cookies infused with an earthy herbal note are truly a delight to be enjoyed at any time - and are seriously addictive - so we’ve got a great list for you to choose from!

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links.

Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:


Citrus Glitters
Makes ~24
1/4 cup yellow coarse "sanding" sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp stevia extract
1/4 cup unsweetened plain non-dairy "milk" (I used rice)
2 tbsp lemon or lime zest
juice of 1 lemon (or 2-3 limes)
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup yellow corn flour
2 tbsp fine cornmeal
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup minced lemon balm (or 2 tbsp dried)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch fine salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking trays with parchment paper.
  2. Place sanding sugar in a shallow dish and set aside.
  3. Beat together the shortening, margarine, sugar and stevia until fluffy.
  4. Add "milk", citrus zest, citrus juice and vanilla.
  5. Add the remaining ingredients and mix just until a dough forms.
  6. Roll balls of dough in the sanding sugar, flattening them slightly.
  7. Place on baking sheets about 1" apart.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 86.2
Total Fat: 4.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 18.5 mg
Total Carbs: 11.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 0.9 g

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