Description
Delight in these Stuffed Lemon Cookies, featuring a soft, buttery lemon-flavored dough enveloping a tangy cream cheese filling. These cookies combine zesty citrus with a creamy center, creating a perfect balance of sweet and tart in each bite. Ideal for dessert or an elegant tea-time treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For Rolling
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the cookies do not stick and bake evenly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. This mixture will help your cookies rise and maintain the perfect texture.
- Cream Butter and Sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which provides a delicate crumb to your cookies.
- Add Wet Ingredients to Butter Mixture. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined, infusing the dough with a bright citrus flavor.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until a cohesive dough forms without overmixing, to keep the cookies tender.
- Prepare Filling. In a separate small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy, creating the luscious filling that contrasts with the cookie dough.
- Shape Cookies with Filling. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten it slightly in your palm. Place 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling in the center, then cover with another tablespoon of dough. Pinch the edges together to seal the filling inside and gently roll into a smooth ball.
- Coat and Arrange Cookies. Roll each filled dough ball lightly in powdered sugar to give a sweet outer coating. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for expansion.
- Bake Cookies. Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. This ensures the cookies are perfectly baked with a soft center.
- Cool Cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up slightly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, maintaining their delicate texture.
Notes
- Chill the dough for 20 minutes before filling if it feels too soft to handle, which will make shaping easier.
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain freshness and texture.
- You can freeze unbaked stuffed dough balls and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the baking time for perfectly fresh cookies anytime.
