For my second to last Culinary Corner, I decided to make a dessert that shows off my favorite flavor of spring: lemon. Lemon sandwich cookies are delicious, smooth and have a great texture. To begin, you will need flour, baking powder, kosher salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemons, cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. You will begin by mixing your dry ingredients into a small bowl. Then, in a larger bowl, mix your wet ingredients. You will then add the dry to wet ingredients. After that divide your dough into two disks and wait for thirty minutes or overnight. After that, you will roll out the dough and use a 2-inch cookie cutter, place each one on a cookie sheet, and after they bake, allow them to rest. After cooling, add your frosting and then you will have a lemon sandwich cookie. These are great treats and a beautiful way to start your spring on the right note.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 cups (10 oz./315 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 cup (6 oz./185 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) granulated sugar

3 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

For the filling:

1/4 lb. (125 g) cream cheese, at room temperature

4 Tbs. (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

1. To make the cookies, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, and juice, and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. If the dough is still sticky, beat in more flour, 1 to 2 Tbs. at a time until it is no longer sticky. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide it into 2 equal pieces, and shape each into a disk. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature before continuing.
3. Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 dough disk 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Using a 2-inch (5-cm) round cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Repeat with the remaining dough disk.
5. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch and the edges are golden brown, 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, make the filling: In the clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a clean paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, juice, confectioners’ sugar, and salt on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
7. Spread about 1 Tbs. of the filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together. Just before serving, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies.

Recipe courtesy of https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/