Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling
- Creamy Lemon Filling
- 1 (4-ounce) package of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups Confectioners' sugar
Preparation
Step 1
1. Mix together the butter, Confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and salt on high speed until combined. Add flour. The dough will be stiff so feel free to finish mixing with a wooden spoon if necessary.
2. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disk about 1/2 inch thick, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 1 hour and up to 3 days).
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (right before you take the dough out of the refrigerator).
4. Unwrap the dough, place on a lightly floured surface or parchment paper or wax paper. Take a lightly floured rolling pin and roll dough about 1/8 inch thick (if dough cracks, allow it to warm up slightly).
5. Cut out cookies with 1 1/2 inch round cutter (reroll scraps once, chilling if too soft)>
6. Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the barely begin to brown.
8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Prepare the Creamy Lemon Filling by mixing together the cream cheese and lemon zest until smooth. Add 1 cup of Confectioners' sugar, mixing until smooth. Mix in remaining Confectioners' sugar as necessary to create a firm but spreadable filling.
10. Form cookies by placing 1 teaspoon of the Creamy Lemon Filling between two cookies, sugared side out. Squeeze the cookies together gently.
* Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart