Many recipes call for the use of just the yolks or whites of an egg. With good reason, they are tried and true classics that yield great results. Many people I speak with shy away from these recipes as they don’t know what to do with the other part of the egg. Well here’s a great recipe that will solve your egg yolk dilemma and allow you to try some of those classic recipes that call for just the whites.
In my case, I often have extra yolks left over because I make and decorate a lot of cakes and my favorite icing to decorate a cake with – in the world, is Italian Meringue (just the whites) Buttercream. It’s versatile and oh oh oh so tasty. So, here’s what I often do with the left over yolks. It’s a wonderful recipe for Lemon Egg Yolk Cookies. These are so delicious, they won’t last and once you make them, you may find yourself with a whole lot of whites – but that’s another blog for me! (Yes both whites and eggs freeze well, but not in the shell, – yet another blog.) As always – enjoy!
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 lemon – zest only
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy
Separately, beat egg yolks and add extracts
Add beaten egg yolk mixture to creamed butter and sugar – blend well
In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and lemon zest)
Add dry ingredients to creamed butter, sugar and egg mixture, mixing until well blended
Form into balls about the size of a walnut
Roll balls in sugar, place on greased cookie sheet or parchment lined cookie sheet, and slightly flatten using the palm of your hand or a spoon
Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on desired softness/crispness.
Lemon Egg Yolk Cookies