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Saturday, July 4, 2020

Buttery Lemon Shortbread Cookies with a Glaze

Buttery Lemon Shortbread Cookies with a Glaze are light and fresh with vibrant sweet and sour flavors that are surprisingly easy to create! Every bite is packed with a burst of lemon flavor and the shortbread has the perfect dense, buttery texture that will make this your new favorite cookie!

For more of the freshness of lemon with the amazing texture of shortbread, try Lemon Tart with a Buttery Shortbread Crust. It is an easy and delicious homemade fresh lemon curd in a buttery shortbread crust.

A stack of lemon shortbread cookies.

Buttery Lemon Shortbread Cookies with a Glaze

Warm summer days call for light and vibrant desserts that are both satisfying and refreshing. Classic shortbread cookies are a tried and true choice with their melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture. Now, by adding in the subtle lemon flavor and the sweet glaze, this classic cookie becomes perfectly bright. Calling these the best cookies ever would not be an overstatement. They are heavenly!

Lemon shortbread cookies are perfect for any occasion because of their soft and sweet buttery texture and their inspired lemon zip. Best of all these crowd-pleasing cookies are simple to make and the dough is easy to prepare ahead of time. Make a couple of batches at a time and freeze some of the dough until you are ready to bake them. You will be asked to make these over and over. So, go ahead and pre-heat that oven and see for yourself how perfect this cookie really is!

Shortbread Cookie Ingredients:

Since this recipe requires no special equipment and all pantry staple ingredients, it makes a great beginner cookie. Shortbread cookies are tried and true cookies and adding the lemon glaze makes these a new favorite version of a classic cookie!

Butter: Binding agent and adds moist, smooth texture and flavor.
Powdered sugar: Adds sweetness
Flour: Helps thicken the cookie.
Salt: Just a pinch to bring out the flavors and balance the sweetness.
Baking powder: Leavening agent that helps the cookies rise.
Flour: All purpose flour is best for these cookies.

Glaze

Lemon juice: Whisk together with lemon zest and powdered sugar.
Powdered sugar: A bit of sweetness in the glaze
Lemon zest: This is where the lemon flavor really comes from. Zest in fine pieces and add more or less according to how lemony you want your glaze.

Homemade Cookie Recipe:

Shortbread cookies are one of the easiest cookies to bake! They come together so fast and you will amazed how simple and delicious they are.

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix: In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer add the butter and beat until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, zest of lemon and juice of lemon.
Combine dry ingredients: In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly add it to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
Roll out dough: Add the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter cut out the cookies and lay them onto a baking sheet.
Bake: Place cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove and let cool.
To make the glaze: In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice, powdered sugar, and zest of one lemon. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and place on a wire rack to set.

Steps to make lemon shortbread cookies.

Tips for the Best Shortbread Cookie:

This familiar dense shortbread cookie is so perfect with the unexpected bright lemon flavor. My pro tips will help you achieve the BEST cookie ever are easier than you think!

Parchment paper: Lining your cookie sheet with parchment paper will save you so much time and help you create the perfect cookie. The parchment paper is naturally non-stick, so you do not have to use any sprays on your pan, and clean up will be so much simpler. Moving your cookies off the tray and onto a cooling rack will be so much easier as well and your cookies will not crack or fall apart as you move them.
Use chilled dough: Once you prepare your dough, place it in the refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes before baking. Cooling the dough will keep your cookies from spreading out too much during baking.
Know when to take them out of the oven: Pull the cookies out when they start to turn to a light golden brown on the bottom or the very edges. They should no longer be white.
Add depth of flavor: Adding spices like rosemary or lavender creates an even more complex flavor in the cookie. Very finely chop these spices before adding them into the dough.
Presentation: Play around with different cookie cutters to make a festive display in star shapes or whatever coincides with your theme. Coloring the frosting with bright colors will also liven up any party!
Glaze: Apply the glaze while the cookies are still a little bit warm so the cookies don’t crack.

Storing Shortbread Cookies:

These cookies store very well and the dough can be made ahead too. Keep some of this perfect dough in your freezer and pull it out as needed to bake a last-minute sweet treat!

Cookie dough: Roll dough into a log shape or cut go ahead and cut into cookies. Then place them in the refrigerator or freezer. If storing in already cut pieces, you will want to separate them with wax paper so they don’t stick together. The dough will be good for 2 days in the refrigerator or 4-6 months in the freezer.
Finished cookies: Be sure your cookies are completely cooled, including the glaze before storing them. Stack in layers with wax paper between each layer. They will stay fresh at room temperature for about a week.

Close up on a stack of lemon shortbread cookies.

More Shortbread Cookie Recipes:

Buttery Lemon Shortbread Cookies with a Glaze

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword buttery lemon shortbread cookies, buttery shortbread cookies, buttery shortbread cookies with a glaze, lemon cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings Cookies

Calories 327kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

To Make the Cookies:

2 cups butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 cups flour

To Make the Glaze:

3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar
zest of one lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer add the butter and beat until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, zest of one lemon and juice of one lemon.
In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly add it to the butter mixture and mix until combined .
Add the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter cut out the cookies and lay them onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove and let cool.

To Make the Glaze:

In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice, powdered sugar, and zest of one lemon. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and place on a wire rack to set.

Nutrition

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How To Know If You Are Subconsciously In Fight, Flight, Or Freeze Mode (And What To Do About It) – An Interview With Dr. Olga Stevko.

Dr. Olga Stevko, MD is an expert at helping people achieve rapid transformation for professional and personal growth. Her clients

The post How To Know If You Are Subconsciously In Fight, Flight, Or Freeze Mode (And What To Do About It) – An Interview With Dr. Olga Stevko. appeared first on Ben Greenfield Fitness - Diet, Fat Loss and Performance Advice.

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Sisel Longevity Products, The AGE Pill, TSX and Stemolytic

Join Dr Curt in the 20 minute video below as he explains Sisel's Longevity Products, The AGE Pill, TSX and Stemolytic. Sisel AGE Pill supports the body to address declining NAD.

from Blog – Sisel Australia – Sisel International Distributor Katie https://ift.tt/2BzXhtS
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Friday, July 3, 2020

How Natasha Roberts Builds Community Through Her Toronto Vintage Store

It’s very satisfying to see something come full circle. And no one knows that better than Natasha Roberts, owner of the charming Toronto boutique, Space Vintage. Roberts comes by her retail prowess thanks to a strong example set by her mother, Ashlene; at a young age, Roberts understood the power of wellness and community through spending time at her mom’s spa, located in Toronto’s Mirvish Village neighbourhood.

An underground haven complete with a water feature, the spa was like an oasis in Toronto’s bustling Annex area. A small rack of clothing was set up in the soothing spot–“Fashion was always a part of my mom’s life,” Roberts says–and through word-of-mouth, interest in the finery being sold was swiftly generated. “Demand started to grow,” she recalls. “And we changed the spa into Space Vintage.” It became so popular, the likes of Nelly Furtado and Rachel McAdams were counted as fans of the store when it came to finding pieces for event dressing,

After nearly two fruitful decades in the same location, the demolition of Toronto’s famed Honest Ed’s building and the rest of the surrounding block of businesses meant Space was in need of, well, a new one. “We were displaced, and it was kind of miraculous to find somewhere in Kensington,” Roberts says, noting that her mother shopped in the iconic neighbourhood and dreamed of having a store there. “There was just something about it that was full circle.”

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A post shared by Space Vintage (@spacevintagexo) on Oct 29, 2019 at 12:51pm PDT

The cozy spot was updated with gold-tone walls and décor and quickly became a must-visit for vintage lovers and those curious about shopping second-hand. But recently, Roberts has faced the same challenges as other retailers in terms of staying engaged with customers through the COVID-19 crisis. She highlights that given the close nature of her relationship with shoppers, much thought has gone into interactions that exist in a digital space. “Everything we do is about connection. You can cry in our store, you can laugh, you can dance, you can strut, you can tell me your life story.”

To fill the void of these intimate IRL moments in the shop, Roberts has been doing virtual personal shopping appointments, and will continue to use Instagram as a shopping platform while an e-commerce site for the store is built (it’s expected to launch this fall). While she’s excited about the prospect of having shoppers across Canada more readily access her curated offerings, Roberts is also well aware of the need to recreate the special atmosphere she’s worked so hard to cultivate with Space Vintage. “[I’m] working to create something nostalgic and familiar when it comes to being online,” says Roberts. “It’s not just selling clothing. For me, that’s very lonely – I call it lonely money. What I do, it’s people over profit. It’s about people’s lives.”

Her customers–or “stars”, as Roberts calls them–have grown accustomed to not only having a sanctuary in Space’s physical location, but also to feeling its owner’s passion for vintage clothing. “I think with vintage, every [piece] has a soul,” says Roberts, adding that some of the retro items that give her a sense of command are dresses from the 1970s. “They could have a bold print, maybe be cinched at the waist. They make me feel so powerful, and the most like me.”

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@halleajones wearing an upcycled dress from Space Vintage for her first red carpet at the @lockeandkeynetflix premiere ✨ We made several trips to the seamstress, but it all came together in the end. Hallea SLAYYYEDD the red carpet 😍Stars, it’s time to cozy up and binge watch @halleajones in the new @netflix hit original @lockeandkeynetflix !!!! The show dropped TODAY. Go watch!!! ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ • • • • • • • • • • #netflix #lockeandkeynetflix #upcycle #vintage #redcarpet #stylist #vintagelove #vintagestore #vintagestyle #vintagefashion #ootd #outfit #look #lookbook #fashion #photography #photooftheday #bestoftheday #actress #actor #bestoftheday #instadaily #instafashion #instastyle #torontofashion #torontostyle #torontostylist #style #stylish #styled #photoshoot

A post shared by Space Vintage (@spacevintagexo) on Feb 7, 2020 at 11:10am PST

Roberts notes that she feels there’s a “kind of prophetic element to wearing vintage clothing,” and says that “If you feel connected to a piece, buy it. There might be a special day when you can wear it.” She recalls a Christian Dior jacket that hung in her closet for months before she wore it. “I’ve had powerful experiences in that jacket,” she says.

The kind of hopefulness Roberts sees in every piece of vintage she releases to her customers is also imbued in her philosophy when it comes to thriving during quarantine and beyond, particularly because her store has seen its share of hardship after being ousted from its original location.

“I’m encouraged and optimistic because overcoming something and coming out victorious is so motivating,” she says. “I want to give other people that bright light. I want to be there for people just by being successful. [And] being a Black-owned business, I see it as a responsibility to be successful and to never give up, because I want other people to have opportunities.”

The post How Natasha Roberts Builds Community Through Her Toronto Vintage Store appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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65 Healthy Brunch Recipes For When You Have Extra Time in the Morning to Savor Each Bite

Spending more time at home can shift your eating schedule so that breakfast is later in the day, but it still may be too early for lunch - so you have brunch! When you're not in a rush, you can create these decadent yet nourishing recipes, like protein-packed pancakes, vegan French toast, baked cinnamon oatmeal, and sweet fruity muffins. Taking some time for you in the morning or spending it with loved ones can put you in a positive mood and give you energy for a productive, awesome day.

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Awesome 7 Layer Dip

Awesome 7 Layer Dip is an addicting creamy dip that includes all of your favorites, like guacamole, refried beans, and sour cream! You will be amazed how simple it is to put together such an incredibly delicious dip!

If you love creating different dips to entertain your family and friends, you are not alone! For a recipe with flavors and layers similar to this 7 layer dip, but with a slight twist in presentation, try Individual 7 layer dip.

7 layer dip in a clear dish.

Awesome 7 Layer Dip

Layering these tasty ingredients one on top of the other makes dipping into all the delicious flavors at once possible. Not to mention the beautiful colors that are displayed when you make it in a clear dish. Every bite is bursting with the distinct flavors of each ingredient. The creamy guacamole, earthy beans, and taco seasonings are amazing together. Everyone loved this dip and it did not last long at all!

Awesome 7 layer dip is so filling and satisfying it makes a great for a snack or an appetizer. It is really perfect for any occasion. As written it is a pretty mild dip, but it is easy to customize the heat level to your preference by adjusting the salsa and taco seasoning. No doubt it will be a huge hit and maybe even a new family favorite! It’s not called amazing for nothing!

What’s in the Layers?

This short list of delicious ingredients come together so well. Some can even be made from scratch! Whether you choose to use store bought or homemade ingredients, this dip will turn out fantastic either way!

Refried beans: Sweet, earthy flavor to start off the first layer of the dip.
Homemade guacamole: Creamy avocado dip is full of flavor.
Sour cream: Mix with the taco seasoning for a creamy layer of amazing flavor.
Taco seasoning: My homemade taco seasoning is the best!
Salsa: Chunky salsa is great or pico de gallo
Colby jack cheese: Shredded fresh and sprinkled on top.
Olives: Drain canned olives and slice.
Cherry Tomatoes: Dice and sprinkle on top.
Green Onions: Finely dice them or leave thicker for more crunch in the topping.

Let’s Make Dip!

This will definitely be my new go to dip recipe! Thank goodness it is such a simple recipe that I can throw it together easily and it looks and tastes so incredibly delicious!

Layer ingredients: In a 8×8 inch dish layer the refried beans, and guacamole. In a small bowl mix the sour cream with the taco seasoning and layer on top of the guacamole. Then layer salsa on top.
Add toppings: Top with shredded cheese, olives, tomatoes, and green onions.
Serve!

Steps to make 7 layer dip.

Variations of 7 Layer Dip:

This 7 layer dip is an impressive dip that is impossible to mess up! There are many different versions of it floating around, but this is definitely the best one I have seen! Here are a few more ideas to make your finished dip even more unique to your family.

Add toppings: Jalapenos, green chilies and cilantro are great toppings to give your dip even more personality.
Meaty Version: Add taco meat for an even heartier version that could easily take this dip from an appetizer to a full meal.
Chill: Cover and place the completed dip in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will bring the flavors together!
Thick salsa: Use a thick salsa or pico de gallo so it’s not too runny.

View of finished 7 layer dip.

Can You Make 7 Layer Dip Ahead?

This dip is best served shortly after making it. This is mostly because of the freshness of the ingredients, like the guacamole and pico de gallo. However, the leftovers will still be good for a 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Especially since the guacamole is between the bean and sour cream layers. Placing it in a center layer will keep it from turning brown when the air hits it. It may start looking less appealing after a couple of days, but it will still be safe to eat and taste fantastic!

Dipping a chip into 7 layer dip.

More Crave-Worthy Dip Recipes:

Awesome 7 Layer Dip

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword 7 layer dip, awesome 7 layer dip

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings People

Calories 97kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers