Glazed Lemon Cookies

The first time I made these cookies was for Fathers Day because my dad loves lemon desserts.  Brandon and I have never been huge fans of lemon flavored stuff because most have that fake lemony taste, but Brandon always requests these now.  The freshness of the lemon in this cookie is delicious!  It is not overwhelmingly lemony.  The glaze on top adds a little sweetness and makes them look pretty :)  You will need a food processor to make these cookies.  Our food processor was a great investment.  It makes things so much easier, and you can find them pretty cheap.

Ingredients

For Cookies:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp fresh grated lemon zest

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoon butter, chilled and cut into tablespoons

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Glaze:

1 Tbsp cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1)  Process the granulated sugar and lemon zest in the food processor for about 20 seconds until the sugar has turned a pale yellow and is slightly damp.   Then add flour, baking powder and salt and process for another 10-20 seconds until well combined.  Next, add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture looks like bread crumbs, about 15 pulses.

2)  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Turn your food processor on low, and add the egg mixture SLOWLY, with the machine on.  Process about 10-15 seconds, until the dough begins to form into a ball.   

3)  Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log, about 10 inches.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate for about 2 hours.  

 4)  Adjust your oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 325.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

5)  Slice the dough into 3/8 inch cookies (a little less than 1/2 and inch).  Lay the cookies on the baking sheets, about 1 inch apart (they wont expand too much).  Bake until the edges begin to brown, about 13-16 minutes, switching the pans and halfway through.  Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

                

6) For the glaze, whisk together the cream cheese and lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth.  Then add in the powdered sugar and whisk until combined and smooth.  Spoon about a teaspoon on the center of each cookie and spread it over the cookie.  It will take about 30 minutes for the glaze to harden. (Let glaze harden before serving.)

         

Enjoy!!