LEMON SUGAR COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

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LEMON SUGAR COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING
Oh my, these lemon sugar cookies with gooey cream cheese icing are so good you won’t be able to stop eating them!  They’re really easy to make, and they are so bright and pretty, they would brighten up any buffet table, a cookie table, or make a fabulous hostess gift, or cookie exchange cookie.  Make sure to save this recipe, because you’ll want to make it again and again, 

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 cup of Butter – softened
• 3/4 cup of Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/4 cup of Sugar
• 3/4 cup of Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of Water
• 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Zest
• 2 Eggs
• Several Drops of Neon Yellow Food Coloring Gel
• 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon of Salt
• 5 1/2 cups of Flour

FOR THE ICING:

• 1 package of Cream Cheese – 8 ounces – softened
• 1/4 cup of Butter
• 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 2 teaspoons of Lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
• 5 cups of Powdered Sugar

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, place the Butter, oil, Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Water, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Eggs, and Several drops of Yellow Food Coloring Gel. Mix until all ingredients are blended.  In a separate bowl, mix the Flour, Baking Soda, Cream of Tartar, and Salt.  Add flour mixture to mixing bowl, in two or three additions, blending between each addition.  Blend until dough is smooth. 

Line a Cookie sheet with Parchment Paper and set the oven to 350 Degrees.  Roll the cookies into Tablespoon size balls, and roll them in Sugar, and place them on the cookie sheet.   Smash the cookies, gently, with the bottom of a glass, and place them in the oven for 12 – 13 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges.

Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  While cookies are cooling, make the Icing.  In th3 mixing bowl of a stand mixer, place the softened Cream Cheese, Butter, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Vanilla, and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add Powdered Sugar a little at a time, until all the powdered sugar has been added, blending between additions. 

When cookies are completely cool, fill the center of each cookie with the Cream Cheese Icing, and sprinkle with Lemon Zest. Allow cookies to sit for about an hour for Icing to set. 

Serve and enjoy!

Makes 36 cookies

NOTE:  I used 8 – 10 drops of Food Coloring Gel, as I wanted a really bright yellow color.