Sugar cookies with lemon and nutmeg. The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion calls this an easy recipe that’s fun for the kids to make, and well, if that’s the case then I can’t wait to see what they have in store for adults. These cookies are made with shortening instead of oil or butter, and only a small amount of liquid is used; the cookbook explains that both of these factors limit how much the cookies will expand in the oven. Beat ½ cup shortening with ⅔ cup sugar, adding ¼ cup buttermilk, a tablespoon of vanilla, and a tablespoon of lemon juice. (The lemon juice is optional, but why would you not want it? A little almond extract would be possible too.) Then add a bit of nutmeg, two cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and salt. I rolled them into little golf ball shapes; flattening them out would have required chilling the dough first. Bake at 350 for 16 to 18 minutes. They end up chewy on the outside and soft and sugary when you bite into them.

(Photo: Model railroad exhibit, Brookside Gardens.)

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