Description
Zesty lemon cream cheese cookies deliver a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors. Delicate crumb and creamy glaze make these treats irresistible for anyone craving a delightful dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ cups (540 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 ml) granulated sugar
- 12 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (240 ml) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp lemon zest (optional)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Calibrate oven to 350F (175C) and equip baking sheets with parchment paper for pristine cookie foundation.
- Base Creation: Whip butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar into a voluminous, cloud-like mixture that promises delicate texture and rich flavor profile.
- Flavor Infusion: Integrate egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, blending until ingredients dance together in harmonious synchronization.
- Structural Foundation: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, ensuring uniform distribution of dry elements for consistent cookie performance.
- Ingredient Fusion: Delicately merge wet and dry components with minimal mixing, preserving the cookies’ tender, ethereal crumb structure.
- Baking Process: Form uniform dough spheres and arrange on prepared sheets, allowing strategic spacing for optimal expansion and golden-edge development.
- Cooling and Finishing: Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges transform to gentle golden hues, then rest on sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack for complete cooling.
- Glaze Artistry: Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice into a luminous, silky glaze, optional zest adds vibrant citrus dimension.
- Final Embellishment: Drizzle cooled cookies with zesty glaze, allowing it to set into a glossy, tantalizing finish that elevates the entire culinary experience.
Notes
- Master Lemon Zesting: Use a microplane or fine grater to extract only the bright yellow outer layer, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath for pure, intense citrus flavor.
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir dough just until ingredients combine to maintain a tender, soft cookie texture without developing tough gluten strands.
- Temperature Control: Ensure butter and cream cheese are room temperature for smooth, even blending that creates a perfectly creamy cookie base.
- Glaze Consistency Check: Add powdered sugar or lemon juice gradually to achieve a drizzle-friendly glaze that’s thick enough to coat but thin enough to flow smoothly over cookies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg