Recipe: Big Lemon Frosted Sugar Cookie Squares

BIG LEMON FROSTED SUGAR COOKIE SQUARES
"These huge, crisp old-fashioned sugar cookies are enriched with a little wheat germ. They're easy to make and a great favorite with both kids and adults."


1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder, preferably non aluminum
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup untoasted wheat germ
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon milk
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Lemon Icing (recipe follows)
Colored sugar sprinkles for decoration (optional, for decorating)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Stir in the wheat germ; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg white, milk, and lemon zest and beat in well.

With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the flour mixture to form a moist dough. Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick, using the plastic wrap to help you. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least several hours, or overnight.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Adjust two oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12x15-inch rectangle, checking occasionally to make sure the dough isn't sticking. With a large sharp knife, cut the dough into twenty 3-inch squares. Carefully transfer the squares to two ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 2-inches apart, 10 on each sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are deep golden brown and have cracks on top. Rotate the sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway during baking to ensure even browning. With a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

Brush a thin layer of Lemon Icing over the cooled cookies and sprinkle with the sugar sprinkles, if using. Let the icing set.

LEMON ICING

1 large egg white (pasteurized)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Beat the egg white in a small bowl until foamy. Add the confectioners' sugar and 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and beat until smooth. The icing should be just thick enough to spread over the cookies with a pastry brush. If it is too thick, gradually beat in droplets of lemon juice until the consistency is right.

Makes 20 cookies
Source: Baking In America by Greg Patent