Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

My family was needing a little comfort food tonight, and these cookies were the perfect fix.  They're tangy and sweet and so addictive.  They're soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth!! I frosted mine with Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue Buttercream (my newest obsession!)  This icing complements these sweet little cookies perfectly and I strongly suggest using it with this recipe!

Yields 36-48 cookies

You will need:
1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 large egg
3/4 cup almond meal (sifted)
5/6 cup (1/2 plus 1/3 cup) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

To begin:
1. Your cream cheese needs to set out for 25 to 30 minutes before being used.  If it's not soft enough, it will cause the batter to be clumpy. Pre-heat oven to 325 F and line two 9x13 cookie sheets with parchment.
2.  Once the cream cheese is soft enough, cream it together with the sugar, lemon juice, and egg.  Mix well until there are no clumps.
3.  In another bowl, combine the sifted almond meal, flour, baking soda, and confectioners sugar. Add a quarter of the dry mixture to the wet mixture at a time.
4.  Drop dough balls 1 1/2 inch away from each other. The dough should be a little runny, so once it hits the cookie sheet, it will spread itself out.  Bake for 20-23 minutes or until slightly golden on the edges.
5.  Let the cookies cool before removing them from the parchment. If you try to take them off too soon, the bottoms will fall out of them.
6.  Once the cookies are completely cool, ice them with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  This icing is extremely sensitive to heat, so make sure you've allowed your cookies enough time to sit.

I love these cookies! They're fun to personalize and decorate, not to mention soooo tasty! I hope you found this recipe helpful and simple!! Happy baking!