I know this post is about cookies, but first I have to say that I hate mosquitos—like really, really hate mosquitos.
We took the kids camping for the first time, thinking a few nights in the wilderness would be super fun. We drove up into the mountains, found a beautiful site. We were right on the river, in a little forested area, with a big rock wall/hill behind us. The kids thought it was great exploring, hiking, playing in the water, and seeing all of the wildlife (we even had a new pet for a bit—Nutty—a super cute and super brave chipmunk).
And then there were the mosquitos. Those merciless, ruthless, blood thirsty mosquitos. I mean, seriously?!?! I swear that these were no ordinary mosquitos—we went through a whole bottle of our homemade bug repellent and then almost a whole bottle of the “other stuff”. My legs look like someone took a bingo dopper to them! I’m pretty sure that Aaron thought I was being a bit melodramatic when I announced that we would be cutting our two-night trip into a one-nighter.
Once we made it home and had washed off the outdoors, he looked at my legs and said, “Ohhh…that’s why you were so miserable.” This, coming from the guy who doesn’t have a single bite on him.
So, as Aaron has been sitting around with his non-itchy self, I decided to console myself with something scrumptiously soft and sweet. And who knows, maybe the distraction of being in the kitchen would get my mind off the incessant itching?
These cookies are pretty much perfect! I found the recipe here and knew it would be super fun and easy to use some oils to reach the perfect lemonyness. I’ve actually made them several times now, and the cookies are sweet, soft, and leave you wanting another (self-control—who needs it?).
What super scrumptious recipes leave you with no self-control? 😉
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Adapted from The Sweet Life
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
1/4 cup apple sauce
10 drops Young Living Lemon Essential Oil*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
With the paddle attachment on your mixer, beat together sugar, lemon zest, and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add apple sauce, Lemon Essential Oil, and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides as necessary. Mix until fully combined. Turn down the speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients. Once all flour is added, turn up to medium speed and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Taste the dough, and if it’s not quite lemony enough, add a few more Essential Oil drops.
Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Take about 1 rounded tablespoon of dough and shape it into a ball. Toss it in powdered sugar, thoroughly (and almost excessively) coating the dough ball and place on baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until edges are firm. (The cookies will be light in color and should look a bit underdone.)
*If you’d like to learn more about Young Living Essential Oils and why I like them for all things, including cooking, click here. If you don’t have any Young Living Essential Oil, you can click here to sign up to buy some. Otherwise, you can substitute with 2 TBSP of fresh squeezed lemon juice.
It's Truly Scrumptious! 