Tag Archives: lemon

Tea Time: Lemon Cookies

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In an attempt to drink less coffee I don’t allow myself to have a cup post lunch. Having said that though, sometimes the work day can drag and we all need a little afternoon pick me up. I have been turning to tea at around 2:30pm daily. (Earl Grey has been my jam although I try to mix it up with Green tea every so often for the antioxidants).

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Ok so I digress, with tea time I often crave a little snack. So, I thought of doing something sweet, but nothing too heavy that it will make you lethargic for the remainder of your day. When poking around the world wide web I came upon this easy cookie recipe and when I brought them into work I got mouthfuls of thumbs ups and yays from everyone. Hope you enjoy as well! (Also go out and buy a nice tea cup and matching saucer as it makes tea time more special, pretentious, fun etc…I got 4 recently! Some even monogrammed for the true tea snob factor.)

  • 1 box of store bought lemon cake mix
  • 1 lemon’s zest (if you don’t have a zester, a boxed grater works well also)
  • 1 tub of cool whip
  • 1 egg
  • Powdered sugar

Mix the first 4 ingredients well and the spoon mixture into the powdered sugar. The batter will be very sticky so you will need to coat with the powdered sugar in order to form into balls for baking sheet. I would do a little bowl of powdered sugar in which you can drop the spoonfuls into the bowl, as this can get messy if you don’t have it all set up beforehand. Lay out on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let them sufficiently cool after you remove from oven as they will still be too soft to handle/will break if touched right after cooking.

Lemon tea cookies

Happy Eating, XO.

Apple Spice Cocktail

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In the spirit of traditions, every Thanksgiving I make a new “signature” cocktail to kick off the meal. I don’t have an ounce of “mixology” in my body, so I take to Pinterest for inspiration. Last year I made Lauren Conrad’s Pilgram Punch (which was dangerously good). This year I made an apple spice recipe from Love and Lemons and it was delicious! I made a few tweaks based on ingredients I already had (waste not, want not) and let me tell you, it went down nice and easy. This is an easy drink to make for all of those upcoming holiday parties.

*Disclaimer – the “base” for this drink needs time to steep and chill, so be sure to make it the night before.

  • 18 ounces apple cider
  • 6 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 star anise pods
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 18 ounces Stoli Premium Vodka
  • 6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon
  • crushed ice
  • 12 oz. bottle of sparkling water (optional)
  • 1 red apple, sliced for garnish (they are sooo good to eat after you’ve finished the drink)

In a small saucepan simmer the apple juice with the cinnamon sticks and star anise. When it barely comes to a boil, remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes, then chill for a couple of hours (or overnight).

When your’e ready to start making cocktails, remove the cinnamon sticks and star anise and set aside for garnish.In a cocktail shaker, shake the spiced apple juice, vodka, lemon, and ice together (work in batches if you need to).

Pour into glasses, add a splash of sparking water, and garnish with apple slices, cinnamon sticks and star anise pods.

apple spice cocktail

Happy Eating Drinking, XO.

So Easy a Caveman Can Do It: Lemon Basil Hummus

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Get the last of the fresh herbs in while you can with this fresh and super simple recipe! It’s honestly so easy a cave man can do it. And I think this may even qualify for the paleo diet?!

I had friends coming over and literally had no finger food ready, so I went pantry-diving. Chic peas? Check. Basil about to go bad? Check. So many lemons I couldn’t possibly use them all myself? Check. All of my friends like hummus, so why not give it a whirl? Like literally, whirl it in a food processor. (I crack myself up…)

  • 1 can of chic peas
  • 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
  • 2 lemons (1 tsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of zest)
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil

Break out the food processor (or mortar and pestle) and pour in all of the ingredients. Puree until smooth. That’s it! Seriously. But I mean, don’t forget to service it with pita chips (I’m addicted to Stacy’s sea salt pita chips). Or you can stuff it in to a cucumber for a healthier snack like we did here.

Chic peas/hummus is such a versatile ingredient, get creative! Mix your own flavors (red pepper and lemon, anyone?) and let us know what you come up with! Tweet it to us @damn_delish.

Lemon Basil Hummus

Happy Eating, XO!

Bougie Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

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One unusually chipper morning, I thought I’d be a little overzealous and make a fancy breakfast/brunch. I had tried these lemon ricotta pancakes in a cafe when visiting Sonia in Philly and have wanted to put my own twist on them ever since.  I have to say, they did not disappoint! They’re amazingly refreshing, and made for an awesome brunch.

  • 2 cup blackberries (or raspberries/mixed berries)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 3 eggs – separate the yolks and egg whites
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted melted butter
  • 1 zested lemon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the compote, cook the berries and maple syrup over medium heat until they start to get soft and saucy-like. (Around 3 minutes).

For the melt-in-your-mouth pancakes, whisk together the ricotta, flour, yolks, sugar, butter, lemon zest, and vanilla. Unfortunately, at this point you have to dirty another bowl (personally, I hate doing that). In another bowl beat the egg whites on high until foamy and fold in to the other mixture. Heat your griddle/pan to medium heat, and get to makin’ some pancakes!

When the pancakes are done, pour on a little compote and syrup (tastes good AND looks good). And Don’t forget your mimosa!

lemon ricotta pancakes

Happy Eating, XO

Fancy Pants Chicken Piccata

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I made this recipe one night pretending I was rich, fabulous and eating in a fancy restaurant. I never actually left my kitchen but let me tell you, it tasted like I was eating in a fancy restaurant. I couldn’t believe how simple but flavorful it turned out! BONUS: wine is needed for cooking this dish so pour yourself a glass (or two) while you’re at it.

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts, halved and pounded to 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter mixed with 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (If you don’t have fresh parsley, don’t stress. I only had dried parsley on hand when making this and it came out just fine.)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 bag of salad
  • The lemon vinaigrette dressing from this post
  • Olive oil

Dip both sides of the chicken breasts in to the flour to lightly coat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet and set to medium heat. Cook the chicken until golden (about 3 min. each side). When done, keep in a warm dish off to the side.

Don’t worry about cleaning the pot (no one likes a million dishes to clean when you’re done. Let’s be honest.). Instead, add wine, lemon juice, and broth until it boils. Then add in the butter/flour mixture and cook until it thickens. Add in the capers, parsley, and additional butter and feel free to add in salt or pepper. If it gets too thick, you can add more wine (and don’t forget to pour some more for yourself).

Toss the dressing in with the salad, add the chicken, and pour your sauce from the pan over. I attempted to make it look fancy with a few uncooked capers and sprinkled parsley on top. Now light the candles, turn on some background music and I swear you’ll feel like your eating from a fancy restaurant.

Happy eating, XO.

Chicken Piccata