Baking cookies-help with US recipe

sorry if these questions have been answered  before..

How much is a 'stick of butter'? is Our UK ones about two of the US ones?

if I don't have lemon extract can I replace  just plain squeezed lemon juice?  if so how much is the difference?  it calls for 4 tsp lemon extract..

a 'box' of confectioner's sugar..  ?? this is for the frosting..  what do you think?

and  how do you  stop the dough from coming out so sticky?  can't seem to roll them into balls.. feels like the swamp thing trying to escape..   :\\\'( :\\\'( :\\\'(
thank you in advance..   

a stick of butter is 1/4lb or 1/2cup. 

box of frosting sugar/icing sugar- usually 16oz.  probably for the frosting.

it they're too sticky- have you tried freezing the dough for 1/2 hour b/f rolling and baking?

as for the lemon extract- i'm not sure i'd do a direct subsetuite btw extract & juice.  waitrose should have lemon extract.  pricey though.  good luck.

Here is a great site for conversions... http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking.htm

I wouldnt freeze the dough, but stick in fridge for a bit.

Problem with lemon juice is its acidity - so probably can't be directly substituted for extract. 

To fix the dough (if you don't have time to refridgerate) you can add a bit more of the flour, bit by bit until you get the consistency you want.  Also you can roll them out on a floured surface to stop it from sticking to the bottom.  And flour your hands or rolling pin if you need to.

For the frosting, you can do the same with the sugar - start with your liquid (guessing it's like melted/softened butter?) and add more and more sugar while stirring until it looks like frosting.  You will see how it forms after a bit.  Also you can just get another recipe that gives you more detailed descriptions and measurements.

Thank you,  thank you everyone!!  have to try this again  one day.. botched up this batch unfortunately..  :\\\'( any more tips are welcome..

Here is a great site for conversions... http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking.htm

OMG, Jenn you are my hero! I can't tell you how many times I've used an American recipe and struggled to figure out how much various measurements of butter weigh! I brought over all of my measuring cups but it's a pain in the ar$e to have to try to cram butter in to a measuring cup!

Here is a great site for conversions... http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking.htm

I use that site ALL the time!! It's fantastic!

sounds like my troubles making cookies, I tried three times before getting even close to the way they were in the US...they were never the same but in the end suitable, but hoping next time to make them and have them come out the way I want.

I get confused by the brown sugar Im not sure if that was a part of it, but for sure not knowing the differences in flour at first sure did.

Ive made several batches of ridiculously yummy cookies here.  The key is unsalted butter, IMO anyway.  As far as the brown sugar goes, soft brown sugar is what I use.  Plain chockie chips are semi-sweet.  The kind Ive bought at Sainsburys are pretty good.

Yeah I haven't had any real serious problems although I haven't used any of the local chocolate chips - only the Nestle toll house from home.  I think they are coming out really well!  Brown sugar - I think I've used the soft light brown but I would prefer the dark as I think it's better for chocolate chip cookies.

seriously.. up until now I haven't had any real problems with baking or replacements.. I think for me  the  lack of lemon extract has been the big one and  the  non committal measurements of this most recent recipe.. I'm going into town today so I plan on tracking down some extract and try again..

I think that I remember seeing lemon extract at Julian Graves.

I've seen lemon extract in Sainsbury's; it's called Supercook Lemon Extract.

Baking is weird, some recipes allow for a mess up factor and some don't.

I personally have not had any problems with anything here, but then I have been a pretty adept cook most of my life and can usually salvage most things. That and lived in so many countries I am used to subsitutes.

Azroomie, the advice given is good and hopefully the next batch with lemon extract wil come out great.

Sometimes it can be things like the age of the flour, baking powder or quality of ingredients.  I have had a loaf or two of bread just not rise for whatever reason.

I would suggest that a possible alternative to the use of lemon extract would be lemon zest... alternatively take a bit of vodka or other light tasting alcohol and soak the zest of a few lemons in it for a few weeks. 

Another thought is to use a fwe spoons of an Italian liquor called Limoncello.  It's readily available and is used in baking all the time...

http://www.limoncello.co.uk/acatalog/Limoncello_Limoncello_9.html

(also not a bad source for Provolone!)

One European stick of butter is usually 225-250g.

Two US sticks of butter is 225 g.  So, if you get one of the larger UK sticks, just slice off approx. 1/5 of the stick and use the 4/5 of that stick in the recipe. Works for me.