Lemon Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Lemon Frosting
Soft, chewy lemon sandwich cookies with triple lemon flavor and a tangy cream cheese lemon frosting filling. Made with rich Plugrà butter for the best texture.
Servings: 14 cookies
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cookies:
- 1 cup Plugrà unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp lemon zest packed (about 2 large lemons)
- ½ tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar for rolling
For the Cream Cheese Lemon Frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup Plugrà unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp lemon extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Cookies:
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 & 1/2 tbsp cornstarch, ¾ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer rub the sugar with the lemon zest using your fingers to release the oils.2 tbsp lemon zest, 1 cup granulated sugar
- In the same bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the Plugrà butter, lemon granulated sugar mixture, and brown sugar on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy.1 cup Plugrà unsalted butter, 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Slight curdling is normal.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp lemon extract, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. (See notes below for two chilling methods, pick whichever works best for you!)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoon dough balls, roll smooth between your palms, then roll in the plain granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers look slightly underdone.
- If any cookies spread more than you'd like, place a round cookie cutter, the rim of a mug, or a small bowl over each cookie right out of the oven (while still hot and pliable) and gently swirl it in a circle. This pushes the edges back in and gives you perfectly round, tighter cookies.
- Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Make the Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and Plugrà butter together on medium-high for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup Plugrà unsalted butter
- Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, and salt. Mix on low to combine, then beat on medium-high for 1 minute until light and creamy.1½ cups powdered sugar, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, ¼ tsp lemon extract, Pinch of salt
- If the frosting is too soft to hold its shape, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes before filling the cookies.
Assemble:
- Pair up the cooled cookies by matching similar sizes.
- Pipe or spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting onto the flat bottom of one cookie, then top with a second cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to spread the frosting just to the edges.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in a single layer for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Two ways to chill the dough. You have options here, pick whichever works best for you:
- Scoop, then chill (my recommended method): Scoop the dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls first, place them on a plate or baking sheet, then chill for the full 2 hours or overnight. When ready to bake, roll in plain granulated sugar and bake right away. This method gives you the thickest, most uniform cookies because the dough stays cold all the way to the oven.
- Chill, then scoop: Cover the whole bowl of dough and chill for the full 2 hours or overnight, then scoop into 1.5 tablespoon balls and roll in sugar. Just know the dough will warm up a bit while you scoop, so the cookies may spread slightly more than the first method. If that happens, use the swish method below to tighten them back up.
- The swish method. If your cookies spread more than you'd like, place a round cookie cutter, the rim of a mug, or a small bowl over each cookie right out of the oven and gently swirl in a circle to tighten the edges back into a perfect round.
- Chill time is essential. Do not shortcut this step or the cookies will spread too much.
- Plugrà butter is recommended for its higher butterfat content, which gives these cookies a richer flavor. If substituting, use a high-quality European-style unsalted butter.
- Make ahead: Cookies can be baked ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days before assembling. Scooped dough balls freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Nutrition
Calories: 399Calories | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 651IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg