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Pitcher perfect for a lazy day

NEW YORK - Here's a plan for a lazy summer day off.

Get up early, do a batch of easy baking, finish your chores.

Then kick back, by the pool, on your porch or in the comfort of your air-conditioning.

Load a tray with a fresh pitcher of homemade lemonade, chilly glasses of milk or iced tea; make space for a plate of cookies that can include a touch of lemon, too.

The White Barn Inn Cookbook (Running Press, 2003, $35) features menus and recipes from a renowned inn at Kennebunkport, Maine.

The text by Susan Sully is illustrated with evocative color photos. Recipes by executive chef Jonathan Cartwright include stylish food for all seasons, including these cool delights.

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)

1 cup ice

Fresh mint, optional garnish

In a medium pitcher, combine the lemon juice and sugar with 21/2 cups of cold water and stir until the sugar dissolves.

This mixture can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

When ready to serve, add the ice to the pitcher of lemonade, stir and serve immediately.

For extra flavor, garnish with fresh mint.

Makes 4 cups.

Source: "White Barn Inn Cookbook," Running Press, 2003, $35.

If you want to take this peach tea on a picnic, pour it into a pitcher and chill it before transferring it to an insulated thermal container.

Rub some extra lemon juice on the peach wedges to keep them from discoloring, and store them in a separate container.

1 cup sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4 firm, ripe peaches

4 tablespoons Darjeeling tea leaves

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, add the lemon juice and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, remove the pits from two peaches and roughly dice the flesh, leaving the peaches unpeeled.

In the jar of a blender, combine the sugar syrup and diced peaches, and puree until smooth.

Strain through a sieve and reserve in a small pitcher.

In a kettle, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. While the water is boiling, remove the pit from one of the remaining peaches and roughly dice the flesh.

Place the tea leaves and diced peach in a heat-resistant pitcher.

Add the boiling water and infuse for 3 minutes.

Add 4 cups of cold water to the pitcher and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, smashing the peach pieces to a pulp.

Remove the pit from the remaining peach and cut the peach into 6 wedges, leaving the peach unpeeled.

Combine the wedges in a serving pitcher with 4 cups of ice. Put another 4 cups of ice in a large sieve and place it over the serving pitcher.

Strain the peach-and-tea infusion through the ice-filled sieve into the pitcher. Add peach syrup to taste, and stir to mix. Serve immediately.

(The remaining syrup can be served with the iced tea for those who prefer their tea sweeter.)

Makes about 3 quarts.

"White Barn Inn Cookbook."

Green tea sorbet is not only easy to make, but its main ingredient may bring health benefits, as medical research on tea increasingly seems to suggest.

2 cups boiling water

8 green-tea bags

2 cups water

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a teapot, pour boiling water over the tea bags. Cover teapot and brew for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and gently squeeze the remaining flavor out of them. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the 2 cups of water and sugar to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat and stir in the tea, corn syrup and lemon juice. Pour into a metal bowl.

Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled, about 1 hour.

Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Makes 1 quart of sorbet.

Source: Salada Green Tea.

For the cookies:

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated zest plus

1 3/46 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons juice from 2 lemons

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:

1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) confectioners' sugar

For the cookies: In a food processor, process the granulated sugar and lemon zest until the sugar looks damp and the zest is thoroughly incorporated, about 30 seconds.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt; pulse to combine, about 10 1-second pulses. Scatter the butter pieces over; pulse until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal, about 15 1-second pulses.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, beat together the lemon juice, egg yolk and vanilla with a fork to combine.

With the food processor running, add the juice mixture in a slow, steady stream (this should take about 10 seconds). Continue processing until the dough begins to form into a ball, 10 to 15 seconds longer.

Turn the dough and any dry bits onto a clean work surface.

Working quickly, gently knead together to ensure that no dry bits remain and the dough is homogenous.

Shape the dough into a log about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, wrap in parchment or plastic wrap, and twist to seal. Chill the dough until firm and cold, about 45 minutes in the freezer or 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions; heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the dough log from its wrapper and, using a sharp chef's knife, slice the dough into rounds 3/8-inch thick.

Place the rounds on the baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake until the centers of the cookies just begin to color and the edges are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 5 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before glazing.

For the glaze: Whisk the cream cheese and lemon juice in a medium nonreactive bowl until no lumps remain. Add the confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth.

To glaze the cookies: When the cookies have cooled, working 1 at a time, spoon a scant teaspoon of glaze onto each cookie and spread evenly with the back of the spoon.

Let the cookies stand on a wire rack until the glaze is set and dry, about 1 hour.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Source: "Baking Illustrated" (America's Test Kitchen).