Lemon Sandwich Cookies

From Everyday Food
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, March 25, 2009

1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2 tbsp (25 mL) granulated sugar for sprinkling

For lemon filling:
4oz (125g)barcream cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1-1 1/2 cups (250 mL-375 mL) icing sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, icing sugar, lemon zest and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add flour (dough will be stiff); finish mixing with a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; pat into a disk about ½-inch (1 cm) thick. Wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour (and up to 3 days).

Unwrap dough; place on a lightly floured piece of parchment or waxed paper. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough about 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick (if dough cracks let it warm up slightly). Cut out cookies with a 1½-inch (4 cm) round cutter (re-roll scraps once, chilling if too soft). Place 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on two baking sheets; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until barely beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool.

For the filling, in a small bowl, mix cream cheese and zest until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup (250 mL) of icing sugar, mixing until smooth. Mix in remaining sugar as necessary to create a firm but spreadable filling. Form sandwiches: Place about 1 tsp (5 mL) filling between two cookies, sugared sides facing out; squeeze gently.

Makes 36 cookies.

Read more of Gwendolyn Richards' culinary adventures on her blog: patentandthepantry.word-press.com.

Lemon Cream Coffee Cake

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) carton lemon yogurt
1-1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg or mace
1 cup butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans or sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch
baking pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl beat
cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Beat in 1/4 cup sugar; fold in lemon yogurt and
lemon peel. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl stir
together 3 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder,
salt and nutmeg or mace. Cut in the 1 cup butter
until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Combine eggs,
milk and almond extract. Add to flour mixture,
mixing until blended. Spread half of the batter
in the prepared pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture
over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter in
small mounds over the cream cheese mixture, spreading
out as much as possible. Combine the 1/2 cup sugar
and 1/2 cup flour; cut in the 1/4 cup butter until
mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans or
almonds. Sprinkle nut mixture over batter in pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until cake is golden
and toothpick inserted in dough mounds comes out
clean (do not test in filling). Cool on wire rack
at least 45 minutes before serving. Chill to store.

Makes 12 servings.

Chilled Lemon Souffle

compliments of HeatherM

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. unflavoured gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
4 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (approx. 2-3 lemons)
1 1/2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
1 cup whipping cream

Directions:
Place gelatin in water and set aside to soften. In a heavy saucepan, set over low heat, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in sugar, lemon juice and zest. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in softened gelatin and cook until dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.
In a deep bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form - do not over beat. Fold whipped cream into cooled lemon mixture until blended. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into lemon-cream mixture. Spoon into a glass serving dish and refrigerate until set, approximately 2 hours.

Serves 6 to 8.

Luscious Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

(A really really easy dessert.)

1 9" frozen deep dish pie shell
1 pkg Shirriff Lemon Pie Filling
1/3 c. cold water
1 3/4 c. boiling water
2 eggs
1 pkg cream cheese softened

Thaw and bake pie shell according to package directions. Cool.
Cook lemon pie filling according to package directions, but use 2 whole eggs, 1/3 cup cold water and 1 3/4 c. boiling water. Cool 5 minutes.
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Reserve 1 cup pie filling for top. Gradually blend remaining pie filling into cream cheese. Pour into crust; refrigerate 15 minutes.
Spread reserved pie filling over top. Refrigerate 3 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and lemon slices if desired.

Layered Lemon Dessert

1 cup or 250 mL all purpose flour
1/2 cup or 125 mL soft butter
1/3 cup or 75 mL ground almonds
2 tbsp or 30 mL granulated sugar
1 pkg or 250 g cream cheese softened
1/2 cup or 125 mL icing sugar
1 cup or 250 mL Whipping cream, whipped
1 pkg or 212 g Shirriff Lemon Pie Filling
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup or 75 mL water
2 cups or 500 mL boiling water
1/4 cup or 50 mL sliced almonds, toasted

1. Mix flour, butter, ground almonds and sugar together until mixture forms a ball and is well combined. Press into a 2 L (8") square pan. Bake at 180C (350F) for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool.
2. Beat cheese, icing sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Fold in half the whipped cream. Spread over cooled crust.
3. Prepare Shirriff Lemon Pie Filling according to package directions, omitting butter. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Spread over cheese layer. Refrigerate until cold.
4. Spread remaining whipped cream over lemon layer. Refrigerate. Garnish with almonds just before serving.

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperautre
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cup sour cream at room temp
Lemon Syrup:
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup sugar

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Butter and flour a 10-inch fluted tub pan (Bundt) and tap out the excess flour.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanill and zest. On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of sour cream. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the pan.

Bake until a wooden skewer cones out clean, about 1 1/4 horus.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Bring the lemon juice, zest, water and sugar to a boil over high heat and cook until it is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Allow syrup to cool before drizzling onto the cake.

Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle half the syrup over the cake. Invert onto the rack and brush with the remaining syrup. Cool completely.

This is a really lemony treat! Really good.