Lemon Drop Cookies

Hooray, they actually turned out!!!  Melt in your mouth goodness despite altering my mom's original recipe.  Thinking she had always used Crisco shortening in her recipe, I went on a limb and replaced it with butter. She later informed me that in reality it was vegetable oil in her original recipe.  I obviously had it confused it with another recipe.  Then there was the question of figuring out the accurate amount of ingredients.  I turned my kitchen into a test kitchen and was vigilant in noting any adjustments and using universal measurements.  The amount of baking powder used in the recipe made me do a double take, but fear not, it really works. As for the Galliano, a sweet herbal Italian liqueur with such wonderful ingredients like anise, juniper, ginger, lavender and of course the delicate flavour of vanilla, it is optional as it is probably not readily available.  Try replacing it with another liqueur like limoncello, another Italian classic. 
   
Lemon Drop Cookies 
3 1/2 cups flour 
6 teaspoons baking powder
zest of 1 lemon   
1/2 cup cold butter cut into small pieces  
4 eggs      
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3 teaspoons 
Galliano liqueur (optional)  
1 1/2 cup sugar     
1/4 cup milk  
1 cup icing sugar     

In a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and pulse to combine.  Add the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients until it resembles cornmeal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and add the sugar, vanilla, the liqueur, and milk. Continue to whisk the wet ingredients until combined.  Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the ingredients.  Pour the icing sugar in a bowl. Take a teaspoonful of the cookie dough and gently roll it in the icing sugar.  Transfer to cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart and bake in a pre-heated 350ºF oven for 10 minutes.  Makes 48 cookies