My neighbors are awesome! We have sort-of a food co-op going on around here. I grow butternut squash and tomatoes, and give them to my neighbors. I’ve already written about how my fabulous neighbor, Amy, gives me oranges. There’s another woman down the street who has a lemon tree. She gives me lemons all the time. They are so wonderful – bright and cheery. Now, if we could just get the woman with the avocado tree to participate, we would all be very excited!

I have a new batch of lemons, and so now I’m coming up with new things to do with them. So, I thought I would try these lemon sandwich cookies. I had a great time making them. And, although they are a bit time consuming, there is nothing difficult about them. And, my husband is having a great time eating them!

I made the cookies with a 2.5 inch round cutter because that’s all had readily available. But, I would recommend using a smaller cutter- say 1 to 1.5 inch as the cookies would be nicer bite sized nibbles. I already adjusted the timing in the recipe for the smaller cookies.

Also, the filling could be made ahead and kept refrigerated, but I would recommend making it after the cookies are done cooling, as it is softer and creamier when it is first made. This will make it easier to spread on the cookies.

You could switch up the look and taste of these cookies by adding a teaspoon of raspberry jam in the sandwich along with the filling.

Either way, these cookies will be a great dessert for parties or just to have with tea. Enjoy!

Lemon Sandwich Cookies

Makes about 36 sandwiches

Cookies:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Filling:
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar

For cookies:
Boil lemon juice and lemon peel in small saucepan until mixture is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into small bowl and cool.

Sift flour, salt, and baking soda into medium bowl, and set aside. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar to butter, and beat until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in yolks. Beat in lemon juice mixture and lemon extract. Add dry ingredients and stir to blend well. Cover dough and chill until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days; store airtight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Roll out 1/3 of dough on lightly floured surface to scant 3/8-inch thickness. Using 1 to 1.5 inch round cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden at edges, about 6 minutes. Let cookies cool 5 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

For filling:
Using back of spoon, mash lemon peel and salt to paste in medium bowl. Add lemon extract and lemon juice, and mix to combine. Add butter, and using an electric mixer, beat until fluffy. Add sugar in batches, beating well after each addition.

For sandwiches:
Spread 2 teaspoons filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with another cookie, flat side down. Repeat to make more sandwich cookies.