Ruby Red grapefruit cookies

In my kitchen, I have one drawer. Clearly, this greatly limits the amount of stuff I can possess, unless I want my kitchen to creep into other parts of my apartment. (Actually, it already does, as my stand mixer lives on my dining table/desk.) But I’m not complaining, as I like to keep my tool kit efficient. That said, sometimes I fail to add something that could make my life a little bit easier, like a cookie scoop, for example.

Making cookies is fun for me. And apparently it’s something that I’ve done all my life, as there are pictures of as a toddler me standing on a chair helping my mom roll out balls of dough. The family tradition of young people baking with older ones is timeless. How many of you recall baking cookies as a child with your mother or grandmother? For many, it’s their first introduction to the kitchen.

My mom was recently visiting my brother and his family, which includes my two nephews—one who is two months old and the other who is two years old. The baby is very cute and likes to smile a lot, but he’s not quite ready to make cookies just yet. But my toddler nephew loves to spend time in the kitchen, and had been asking her since she arrived: “Grandma, when are we going to bake cookies?” The tradition continues.

She then turned to me for help. I had promised to send her a recipe, and my new purchase had prompted me to spend the better part of the past few days testing batch after batch after batch. Thankfully, the scoop made things a little easier, though it didn’t prevent me from eating half the cookie dough, which I’m sure many of you can agree is perhaps the best part.

Ruby Red grapefruits are at their peak right now and whenever I spot them at my local store, I grab them because the good ones from Texas aren’t always available in New York. While there are countless good things to do with grapefruit (such as this Ruby Red sheet cake), since I was already in cookie mode that’s what I decided to make instead.

There wasn’t much to do, really, as I simply added some fresh juice and zest to my basic sugar cookie recipe. The flavor is delicate, but the Ruby Red’s sweet and sour tang is definitely there. I’m also a big fan of the texture, as they’re a little crunchy and a little chewy. When you take a bite, the crisp outer layer soon gives way to a soft buttery center. And before you know it, the cookie is gone and I can guarantee you’ll reach for another one soon.

If you’re baking with your grandkids this weekend, you’ll want to make these cookies. Or if you’re baking for yourself and your friends, you’ll want to make these, too. I insist, however, that you share them with someone, as these Ruby Red grapefruit cookies are just too good to be eaten on their own.