Gluten-Free Lemon Drop Cookies

1. Position 2 oven racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Mist 2 baking sheets with spray oil, or line them with parchment paper or silicone mats and then lightly mist the surfaces with spray oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, Splenda, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, lemon juice, lemon extract, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a very thick, sticky batter (see page 27). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Drop the dough onto the prepared pans, using about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough per cookie; alternatively, lightly grease your hands and roll the portions of dough into balls. Space the cookies about 3 inches apart (measured from the center of each cookie).
4. Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pans and switch racks and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cookies are light golden brown and firm to the touch.
5. Meanwhile, make the lemon fondant icing (which is optional). In a small bowl, combine the erythritol and lemon juice and whisk until thoroughly blended.
6. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 3 minutes. While they’re still on the pan, brush the tops with the icing; alternatively, you can dip the cookies into the fondant to coat the tops.
7. Put the glazed cookies on a wire rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving (this also allows the fondant to set up).

Variation:

Lemon Wedding Cookies: Omit the glaze and dust the cookies with erythritol instead. (Be sure to use powdered, not granular erythritol.) Put ½ cup of powdered erythritol in a small, shallow dish. While the cookies are still warm, gently swirl the top of each in the erythritol powder, then return them to the wire rack to cool completely.

Reprinted with permission from The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking by Peter Reinhart & Denene Wallace, copyright © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Purchase at amazon.com.