LEMON SANDWICH COOKIES (W/ LEMON CREAM CHEESE FILLING)

Lemon Sandwich Cookies (W/ Lemon Cream Cheese Filling) image

Provided by frozen_rain

Categories Dessert

Time 50m

Yield 36 cookies, 36 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour, plus more for rolling
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1 -1 1/2 cup icing sugar

Steps:

To make cookies, preheat oven to 350°F
In a large bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, icing sugar, lemon zest, and salt until combined.
With mixer on low, add flour (dough will be stiff); finish mixing with a wooden spoon.
Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; pat into a disk about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.
Wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour (and up to 3 days).
Unwrap dough; place on a lightly floured piece of parchment or waxed paper.
With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. (If dough cracks, let it warm up slightly).
Cut out cookies with a 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) round cutter.
(Re-roll scraps once, chilling if too soft).
Place 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on two baking sheets; sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake until barely beginning to brown, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
For the filling, in a small bowl, mix cream cheese and zest until smooth.
Gradually add 1 cup of icing sugar, mixing until smooth.
Mix in remaining sugar as necessary to create a firm but spreadable filling.
To form the sandwiches, place about 1 teaspoon filling between two cookies, sugared sides facing out; squeeze gently.