Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

These soft cookies taste like lemony sugar cookies that always stay soft thanks to the addition of cream cheese.  How good does that sound?!? The glaze on top adds the perfect little sweetness creating a bright cakey cookie that's just totally delish!  This recipe make approximately 1.5-2 dozen (18-24 cookies), depending on the size of cookie.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 teaspoons lemon zest (I zest 3 medium sized lemons & that's usually the perfect amount)
• 2-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I like using more lemon juice (4 tablespoons) to get a really lemony flavor; 2 tablespoons gives you just a light hint of lemon)
• Powdered sugar

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

**Mix all ingredients for glaze in a bowl with a whisk or fork.  You can omit the lemon zest & juice if you'd like a more subtle vanilla flavor. 


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1. Mix together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder & salt). Sift or mix well with a whisk.
2. Place butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until creamy.

 

3. Mix in sugar.

4. Add in egg, lemon zest & lemon juice & mix well.

 

5. Reduce speed to low & add in your dry ingredients.

 

6. Shape your dough.  You can roll it out & cut them like sugar cookies (note: the dough is a little wetter than sugar cookies so grease your cookie cutter & surface).  Or you can roll them into balls, flatten with the bottom of a glass & use a small cookie cutter to create a shape.  Or you can roll some dough into a rope & coil it around itself.  Below are examples of each, before going in the oven.

 



7. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes.  The size of your cookie will change your baking time.  Once cookies get golden edges & bottom they are set.

8. Drizzle glaze or dip the cookie in the glaze. Let dry on a wire rack for 30 min. Once set, sprinkle with powdered sugar. (pictured: finished spirals with glaze drizzled in seams & dusted with sugar)

 

 



Gobble 'Til You Wobble Cake

This cake can be done many ways....a totally from scratch version, a totally easy semi-homemade version, or a mix of the two.  Essentially you are looking at a few elements here. 1-Chocolate Cake, 2- Pumpkin Mousse Filling, 3- Frosting & 4- Decoration. 

Easy version first:

1- Chocolate cake- for this you can use any box cake to make things a bit easier & quicker.  A few tips on store-bought box cake preparation:

• Choose a high quality brand; note ingredients & brands included (ie-some will state the type of chocolate used in their mix & this can tell you a lot about quality
• Devil's Food Cake is my favorite type of chocolate cake mix if I'm in a pinch & decide to use a box mix (yes, it does happen....NEVER cakes I sell....just ones when I really just want to practice decorating & just need a quick cake).  It tends to be really rich in chocolate flavor so it's richer than other chocolate cake mixes.
• Use good eggs...use the best eggs you can get. Trust me, it makes a difference. Any ingredients you are adding should be the highest quality.

2- Pumpkin Mousse Filling- For the easy version, it's mostly just mixing store bought things together, but oh my! is it good!

• Mix store bought Instant Vanilla Pudding with 1/2 cup cold milk
• Add in 1 cup Pumpkin Puree & mix well
• Add in 1/2-1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Seasoning (depending on how 'spiced' you like your pumpkin desserts)
• Add in a few scoops of Cool Whip & fold together.  Continue to add Cool Whip in small amounts folding mixture together as you go until you reach a mousse-like consistency. You want this mixture to have enough body to hold up as filling in between your cake layers.

3- Frosting- Again, for the easy version, buy your favorite frosting from the store. Be sure to buy regular frosting, not whipped, as it will hold shape better in the end.

4- Decorations- Leaf sprinkles (or fall colored sprinkles), Chocolate Malted Milk Balls (you can drizzle with orange Candy Melts if you want to fancy them up) & if you're feeling adventurous, Orange Candy Melts & a Piping Bag to write a holiday message.


Want to do a little more baking from scratch? Sure thing! Here are recipes for Devil's Food Cake & Italian Meringue Buttercream:

Devil's Food Cake
(Sugar Sugar)
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (3.9 oz.) box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat to 350. Grease and flour round (8 in) cake pans.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, pudding mix & baking soda.
In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix oil & sugar on medium speed for 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until creamy. Add the vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture & mix on low speed until incorporated. Slowly add buttermilk. Add remaining flour mixture & blend until just combined.
Spread evenly into pans & bake 20-25 minutes.

Italian Meringue Buttercream
2/3 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons
1/4 cup water
4 large egg whites (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into small pieces)

Place 2/3 cup sugar & mater into a small pot. Stir to wet the sugar. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, swirling pan occasionally. Dip pastry brush into warm water & brush down the sides of the pot. Turn the heat down & simmer gently.
Place egg whites in mixing bowl & whip until frothy on low speed. When soft peaks form, ass remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar gradually. Continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Bring sugar water to a rapid boil & cook until it reaches 248-250 degrees.
Pour a thin steady stream of sugar mixture over meringue, without getting it on the rotating whip or sides of mixing bowl.  Whip on high speed until cool. When the bowl is no longer warm, turn mixer to medium & add the butter in small amounts. Keep beating until butter cream is completely smooth.

Bake your cake. Most will only make two layers, so should you want three as shown above, adjust accordingly.

Once your cake layers are completely cool, level each layer. (TIP: Should you decide to do so, cook at a lower temperature for a longer period of time & you'll have less 'peaking' in your cake & thus less leveling to do).  To level, you can use a tool sold at any store with cake decorating gadgets, or you can eyeball it, like I do.  You just want to have a level surface to work with.

Flip the first layer onto your plate/cake stand/cardboard, cut-side down.  You may want to place a dollop of frosting on the surface before, as this will ground your cake & aid in frosting.

Using your stiff frosting, pipe a thick band around the outer edge of the cake, creating a "wall" of sorts.  If a little is over the edge on the side, do not worry, we'll smooth it out later.  Then fill with a thick layer of pumpkin mousse.  Carefully, place the other layer (cut-side down) on top of this layer.

Using an offset spatula, apply a thick layer of frosting to the side of the cake. Should things get a little messy, start with a thinner layer, place cake in the freezer to firm up & then place a thick layer of frosting over your 'crumb coat'.  Next, smooth out the sides, all owing any extra to rise above the top of the cake.  Using your spatula and any excess frosting that's above the top line of the cake, lightly guide the frosting to the top of the cake, smoothing inward. Apply any extra needed icing on the top & smooth out.

Decorate using sprinkles, piping rosettes, chocolate candies, writing, or drizzled caramel.

AND.....EAT!!! & Gobble Til You Wobble!