Swiss Cinnamon Crisps

This is my 232nd post. Why is that significant? It's not really, except that I made a batch of these cookies a few weeks ago and brought them to some friends, who happen to live at number 232. And they asked me to post the recipe for these cookies as post #232. Because of the cosmic synergy, I assume. So I said yes. 

 

If I was being fair to the universe though,  I really wouldn't have waited that long to share these. Deceptively simple, these cookies are packed with the flavor of the cinnamon, lemon zest and brown sugar.One of my friends said they tasted like Teddy Grahams. Upon further pressing, I determined that was in fact a compliment.

You could use any sort of cookie cutters on these, but I went with simply slicing them up into squares/rectangles/what is that shape over there? - all completely uneven of course. 

I have since acquired a fluted pastry wheel which makes me all kinds of excited. Especially at the prospect of all the time I could save not using cookie cutters in the future. Also at what this will mean for the lattice crusts of my summer pies. Summer? What is summer again?

Tip of the Day: They seem pretty similar, but wax paper and parchment paper are worlds apart. Here is the important distinction: wax paper cannot go in the oven! Bad things happen. I only really keep parchment paper on hand in the kitchen. 

Recipe: (via seriouseats.com) - Makes a lot of cookies. But you'll eat them all.

1 cup (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon 

Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla and zest and beat to combine. 
Add the flour, salt and cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. 
Roll the dough out on a well-floured surface to about 1/4" thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or cut in to squares with a pastry wheel/pizza cutter. Place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. 
Beat the egg and milk together with a fork or whisk. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Use a pastry brush to coat the cookies in the egg mixture, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. 
Bake at 350 F for 10 to 12 minutes.