Lemon Olive Oil Cookies

I picked up some lemon thyme at the market the other day and contemplated using it in a fish dish, or in a salad, or with some eggs but then opted for cookies because that seemed the most logical choice. Or maybe I just needed some sugar.

I'm still mixer-less down here and so have been mentally going through recipes that don't require butter to be creamed. Yes, as my friend Scott reminded me, there was a time before mixers and elbow grease was used instead. However, the other day I whipped egg whites until satiny peaks formed and let me tell you, I was fairly certain that my arm was going to give up and just fall off. Apparently, I am a wimp. This recipe requires just two bowls and mixes together (by hand) in a flash.

I remembered bookmarking a recipe from Mark Bittman for olive oil cookies in which he used both red wine and rosemary. I figured I would take that concept and go with a triple lemon version instead: herbal lemon thyme, lemon zest and juice, and sweet lemony icing.

The cookies are sort of a cross between a scone and a cookie with somewhat cakey interiors. There's no getting around the fact that the butter is missing, but really, I like these a lot. These not too sweet, herb-flecked bisquits are rustic, pretty-looking things that didn't require me to even break a sweat.

For about 2 dozen cookies:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup oats
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves
• Lemon Icing*

Heat the oven to 375f (190c). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, zest, and thyme. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula until just moistened.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake in the center of the oven for 12-14 minutes or until just brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

*For the icing, whisk together 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until smooth.

Once cool, drizzle the icing over the cookies and allow to set. The cookies will keep, covered for a couple days.

Adapted (a lot) from a recipe by Mark Bittman