Lemon Cream Cheese Crackle Cookies

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Lemon Cream Cheese Crackle Cookies

A bunch of different recipes for lemon crackle cookies have been making the rounds on Pinterest lately but I wanted a soft cookie version that would go well with a layer of cream cheese frosting to hold them together. The truth is that these are perfectly fine on their own without the filling ans would make what my mother would call a lovely "cup of tea" cookie. Either way you try them, they are delicious and a real treat for the lemon lovers in your life.

Lemon Cream Cheese Crackle Cookies

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Lemon Cream Cheese Crackle Cookies - delicious, soft, lemony crackle cookies are great or on their own or even better sandwiched together with smooth, luscious cream cheese frosting. An outstanding combination of flavors.

Prep time: About 1 hour 15 minutes including tome to chill the cookie dough
Cook time: 13 - 15 minutes
Total time: About 1 1/2 hours plus cooling time for the cookies.
Yield: About 1 dozen sandwiched cookies or 2 dozen single cookies.
Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• zest of 3 large lemons, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar very well.
3. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts and the chopped lemon zest.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Don't overwork the dough.
6. Cover the dough and refrigerate for about an hour.
7. Scatter the icing sugar in the bottom of a pie plate.
8. Roll the chilled into 1 inch balls and then roll the balls into the powdered sugar.
9. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 13 -15 minutes until they are lightly brown at the edges and do not look wet on the top.
11. Cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Sandwich 2 of the cookies together with about a tablespoon of the cream cheese frosting.
13. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Foolproof Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Foolproof Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Good morning from a rainy Orlando as tropical storm Isaac passes by. We might spend the day at the house today; heck, I might do some cooking in Florida on this vacation after all.

Before we left home, Olivia was on a bit of a cookie kick and we have a couple of other recipes coming up soon but today we feature a gorgeous little chocolate treat that we hadn't made in quite some time. This cookie is soft and very chocolatey and is also very eye-catching when set out as part of a party spread; they always seem to disappear first for some reason.

The recipe is very straightforward but does require that the dough be well chilled. The combination of using two sugars to roll the dough balls in is the secret to getting the perfect crackle appearance every time. The Dough can also be frozen in advance to use later. Just let it thaw in the fridge before using it.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup icing sugar (i.e. powdered sugar)

Sift together and set aside: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler and let cool almost to room temperature.

Cream, butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, then fold in the melted chocolate. Add the dry ingredients in three additions alternately with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

This dough needs to be well chilled. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for several hours. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls, first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar. Place the balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees F until the surface crackles. Cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.