My mom used to make something similar to these and I’m so happy I found this recipe.
These Lemon Tea Cookies are a delightful treat, perfect for enjoying with a warm cup of tea or coffee. Delicate and slightly crisp cookies infused with bright lemon flavor are either sandwiched together with a creamy lemon filling or served as beautifully frosted single layers.
Ingredients:
For the Cookies:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Unsalted butter | 3/4 cup |
| Sugar | 1/2 cup |
| Salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Egg yolk | 1 |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| Lemon extract | 1/2 teaspoon |
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups |
| Milk or cream | 3 tablespoons |
For the Filling:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Butter | 3 tablespoons |
| Cream cheese | 2 oz |
| Lemon juice | 4 1/2 teaspoons |
| Lemon extract | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Grated orange zest | 3/4 teaspoon |
| Powdered sugar | 1 1/2 cups |
| Yellow food coloring | 2 drops |
Instructions:
- Cream Butter and Sugar (Cookies): In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take at least 5 minutes of beating.
- Add Wet Ingredients (Cookies): Stir in the salt, egg yolk (at room temperature), vanilla extract, lemon extract, and milk or cream to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Add Flour (Cookies): Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients, mixing until a smooth dough forms.
- Chill Dough (Cookies): Divide the dough into two equal halves. Wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight to allow the dough to firm up.
- Preheat Oven (Baking): When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll and Cut Dough (Baking): On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the first half of the chilled dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch (or thinner for crispier cookies). Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Re-roll any scraps of dough to cut out more cookies.
- Bake Cookies (Baking): Place the cut-out cookies onto a baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned and the edges are crispy.
- Bake Second Batch (Baking): Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with the second half of the chilled dough.
- Cool Cookies (Baking): Allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely for about 30 minutes.
- Prepare Filling: While the cookies are cooling, prepare the lemon filling. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, softened cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon extract, and grated orange zest. Blend all the filling ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Coloring (Filling): Gradually add the powdered sugar to the creamy mixture, blending until the filling is smooth and reaches your desired consistency. If desired, add 2 drops of yellow food coloring and mix until evenly incorporated.
- Assemble Cookies: Once the cookies have cooled completely, you can assemble them in two ways:
- Sandwich Cookies: Spread a generous amount of the lemon filling on the flat side of one cookie and top it with a second cookie to create a sandwich.
- Frosted Cookies: Alternatively, you can spread the lemon filling on the top of each cookie using a knife or pipe it on using a piping bag for a decorative look.
- Serve and Store: Serve these delightful Lemon Tea Cookies with hot tea or coffee for a tasty treat. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
