If you prefer, dough can be made the day before which makes it nice and chilled to work with, or you can start scooping them right after you make the dough but probably you will have to chill it for a while as you’re making the cookies and the dough stays out. I sometimes stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to get it to firm up again.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, add eggs one at a time, then the extract and zest.
In a smaller bowl whisk the flour, salt and baking powder, then slowly add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, you might not have to use all the milk.
When everything is incorporated, let the dough rest for 5 minutes or wrap and chill overnight.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. and place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
To form the knots I like to use a cookie scoop so all will be similar in size, then take the scoop of dough and roll it into a log about 5 or 6 inches, it’s the length of a bench scraper, that’s how I measure mine.
Then take one side of the log and spiral it into a circle, you can tuck the other end down or up, it doesn’t matter.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes according to your oven, mine took exactly 12 minutes, you want the underneath to be golden brown, not dark brown.
Cool on racks.
