Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

These super soft, very lemony cookies are topped with a lemon glaze that adds to the pucker-up power. Cream cheese keeps the cookies soft, moist, tender, and makes them taste more buttery. Lemon extract and lemon zest are used for flavor in the dough while a lemon juice glaze and more zest top the cookies. 

Between the soft, slightly chewy cookies that are perfectly thick and ridiculously tender without being cakey courtesy of the cornstarch, and the wonderfully tangy-sweet glaze, the cookies are boldly lemony and lemon fans are going to be in lemon love.

INGREDIENTS

Cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, softened (use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese not ‘spreadable’ or whipped cream cheese)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon extract (do not substitute with lemon juice)
• yellow food coloring, optional and as desired
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (or 2 tablespoons if you want cookies very lemony)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or as necessary for consistency
• lemon zest, for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cookies – To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) add the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, light, fluffy, and well combined, about 3 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, lemon extract, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and optionally add the lemon food coloring (as many drops as necessary until desired shade is achieved), the lemon zest, and beat on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute; don’t overmix.
5. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands, form approximately 18 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
6. Please visit Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies for full instructions.