Half-hour cookies continue to be versatile. Over this holiday weekend I decided to try some lemon cookies and they went over very well. Replace the vanilla with lemon juice, and replace the allspice with grated lemon zest.

The result is a much subtler cookie, crunchy with a hint of lemon.

You can also flatten the cookies with a sugared glass instead of a wet fork. Put a bunch of granulated sugar in a bowl, and find a tall drinking glass (glass works best) with a flat bottom. Rub the bottom of the glass in the sugar. Flatten the cookie with the glass. Continue re-coating the bottom of the glass with sugar for each cookie.

Be careful flattening the first cookie, because the glass won’t pick up much sugar until it has been dampened. You’re likely to get the cookie stuck to the bottom of the glass if you push too hard.