Glittering Lemon Sandwich Cookies

Gourmet  | December 2008

by Shelley Wiseman

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photo by Romulo Yanes

yield
Makes about 50 sandwich cookies

active time
1 1/2 hr

total time
2 1/2 hr

Our love of lemon grows exponentially at the sight of these delightful melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies. It perfumes the tiny treats, which are put together with an easy icing that zings with zest and fresh lemon juice. Rolling them in brightly colored sanding sugar makes them sparkle like vintage Christmas ornaments.

Ingredients

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For cookies:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• White or colored sanding sugars

For filling:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.

Beat together butter and confectioners sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in zest and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture just until a soft dough forms.

Put sanding sugars in different bowls. Roll a scant teaspoon of dough into a ball and drop into sugar, turning to coat. Reshape if necessary and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat, spacing balls 3/4 inch apart, until baking sheet is filled.

Bake until tops are slightly cracked but still pale (bottoms will be pale golden), 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to a rack to cool completely.

Form and bake more cookies on second baking sheet.

Make filling and sandwich cookies:
Beat together all filling ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined well. Transfer to sealable bag and snip off a corner.

Turn over half of cookies and pipe about 1/2 teaspoon filling on flat side of each. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently.

Cooks' note: Cookies keep in a metal cookie tin at room temperature 4 days.

my notes

via Epicurious.com: New Recipes http://feeds.epicurious.com/c/35380/f/665147/s/347df4d4/sc/26/l/0L0Sepicurious0N0Crecipes0Cfood0Cviews0C350A9320Dmbid0Frss0Iepinr/story01.htm

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