When my sister told me she was getting married again I was thrilled for her. Her husband had died several years ago and I knew she had been lonely. She and her new beau had originally planned to have an April wedding, but a little thing called a worldwide pandemic interfered with those plans. The date was finally set for August and I started planning what Wedding Cookies I would make for the occasion.

Lemon is one of my favorite summertime flavors. The bright, tangy taste makes me forget all about rainy days and cold weather. I’m a huge fan of lemon in most any form: lemon curd, lemon meringue pie (without the meringue), lemon bars (o-o-o-oh, that buttery crust), but unfortunately these lemon desserts are difficult to take along on a hike or to a picnic. Enter the Lemon Pie Cookie. It satisfies my desire for something lemony without the need for a spoon or fork.

My goddaughter loves Peanut Blossom Cookies. In fact, it’s her favorite cookie and I make them for her every year. I wondered if I could add a bit more flavor to this classic cookie and I found the solution in The Perfect Cookie from America’s Test Kitchen. The original recipe on the Hershey’s package of Kisses calls for shortening. While this ensures that the cookies don’t spread all over the baking sheet, shortening doesn’t bring a lot of flavor to the party....