Happy Mother’s Day! As is my tradition (if two years can be considered a tradition), I’m dedicating this week’s post to my amazing mom, who also happens to be my best friend. Love you, mom!

Yesterday, when I was wondering what to bake, I called her for ideas. Normally, I would go the coconut route, but I feel like I’ve done that a lot recently, and since she won’t actually get to enjoy the treat, it seemed more mean than thoughtful.

Fortunately, as she always does, my mom had a great idea: daisy cookies! Earlier today, when I posted a preview of the post on Instagram, my mom called me to make sure I clarified something. Though it’s true that daisies are my mom’s favorite flower, the reason for that is actually because they were her mom’s favorite flower as well. So these cookies do double duty as a tribute to my mom and my grandmother. However, it was all my mom’s idea to make them lemon – giving me an excuse to buy yellow decorating sugar, which is my favorite color.

Anyways, these cookies, as with any cookie press cookie, are basically a lot of butter and a hint of lemon flavor. And the recipe makes a big batch, like big-enough-to-bring-to-my-125-students big, with some to spare for teachers. If you don’t have a cookie press, you might have to sit this one out, or find your nearest OXO retailer and get one. It’s worth it if you want to make my butter cookies, chocolate cookies, or cream cheese spritz cookies. Or if you want to just be able to quickly make a huge batch of seasonally shaped cookies. Either way, its a good investment.

First, cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy. Yes, two cups of butter is an entire box of butter. Remember you’re making around 150 cookies, so it’s really not super awful.

Next, add the eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat until well combined.

Finally, add the flour, one cup at a time, beating after each addition. You will likely have to increase the speed to make sure the batter becomes smooth enough to work with the press.

Put the dough into your cookie press and press cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Try to fit in as many as you can – they don’t spread, and it decreases the total number of sheets you have to bake, which saves time.Sprinkle with yellow sugar to decorate.

Bake at 350°F for about 8 minutes, or until edges just start to brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Press more cookies and repeat! When you’re done, store them in an airtight container at room temperature, and they should keep for quite awhile. But since they’re small, you may fall into the common trap of assuming they don’t have calories, which makes them disappear quite a bit quicker.

Enjoy!

Lemon Daisy Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• zest from one lemon
• 5 1/4 cups flour

Directions:

1. Cream the sugar and butter in a stand mixer on medium speed using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine.
3. Add the flour, about one cup at a time, beating after each addition until smooth.
4. Fill cookie press and press onto ungreased baking sheet. Decorate with colored sugar.
5. Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
6. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.