These divine little treats taste like a bright summer day.

Tea party anyone?

With Mother’s Day this weekend, I, naturally, was inspired to make something I knew my mom would love. My mom has never been a chocolate addict, like me. She loves all things vanilla and lemon, with the occasional berry thrown in. When I was a little girl, my mom would buy lemon cream cookie sandwiches at the grocery store. They were the light and sunny version of an Oreo cookie. She would hide them in the back of the pantry, hoping we wouldn’t discover them, then she’d eat them after we went to sleep. So sneaky! But, now that I’m a mother, I get it. We need those tiny moments of uninterrupted bliss.

So, this recipe is for my mom, and she is going to flip! This is my homemade version of the classic lemon cream cookie sandwiches. A soft crumbly, shortbread-like cookie, loaded with fresh lemon zest, filled with a light, fluffy lemon cream cheese buttercream. Mom, look out!

What I love most about these cookies, aside from their incredible flavor, is they’re so beautiful. Don’t they look like heaven? They would be a stunning finish to a garden party or Mother’s Day tea.

Some tips to make these cookies extra divine:

• Use REAL lemon extract, not imitation. While I’d love to use lemon juice in the cookie dough (I do in the filling), I was worried it would mess with the texture of the cookie. The lemon flavor comes from fresh lemon zest and pure lemon extract, which is essentially a lemon oil. If you can’t find pure lemon extract I’d leave it out before adding imitation. You don’t want your cookies tasting like a lemon cleaning product!

• Chill the cut out cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking. This prevents spreading in the oven. Being these are cookie sandwiches, they look their best when the top and bottom are the same size.

• Roll the cookie dough about 1/4” thick. You want a thick cookie, but not so thick it smashes the filling when you bite into it.

• If you want to stamp your cookies, like I did, roll half of the cookie dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Sprinkle some flour over the top of the balls of dough, then firmly press the stamp design down into the ball of dough till it’s about 1/4” thick. Then, use your cookie cutter to cut out the shape. This stamp is from Nordic Ware, it’s actually a holiday design, but I loved how it looked like the interior of a lemon.

• After you assemble your cookies, store them in an airtight container till ready to serve. This will help the buttercream filling firm up. Cookies will stay fresh for 3-5 days.

Cream cheese in the cookie dough gives these cookies the perfect pop of flavor to highlight the lemon. They’re truly divine!

Lemon Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Makes fifteen 2 1/2” cookie sandwiches

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 4 ounces cream cheese (half a brick)

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 extra large egg yolk, at room temperature

• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp pure lemon extract

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 3/4 cup flour + extra for rolling out the dough

• 1/3 cup cornstarch

• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

• freshly grated lemon zest from 1 large lemon

• powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together till combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the egg, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon juice. Mix till fully combined, scrape down the bowl as needed.

4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture. Continue mixing on medium-low speed till the dough comes together.

5. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 30 minutes to an hour.

6. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

7. Roll the dough out on a floured surface, about 1/4” thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut into shapes. If you want to stamp the tops, see my note below. I highly recommend chilling the cut out cookies for 10 minutes before baking, especially if stamping them, to help them hold their shape. Bake on center rack for 11 to 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.

8. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack.

9. Note: To get the stamp design you see on my cookies, I used a metal cookie stamp from Nordic Ware. There are so many fun options for cookie stamps. Roll half of the cookie dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. These will be your sandwich tops. Sprinkle some flour over the top of the balls of dough, then firmly press the stamp design down into the ball of dough till it’s about 1/4” thick. Then, use your cookie cutter to cut out the shape.

   Lemon Cream Filling

   • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

   • 4 ounces cream cheese (half a brick)

   • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

   • 2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice

   • pinch of kosher salt to taste

   • 1-2 tiny drops of yellow food color (optional)

   1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on high speed for 2-3 minutes, till light and airy.

   2. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Scrape down the bowl.

   3. Add the lemon juice, a pinch of salt to taste, and 1-2 drops of yellow color, if using. Mix on medium high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

   4. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag and cut the tip off. You can also use a butter knife or spoon for the filling if you like a more rustic look.

   5. To assemble the cookies, swirl the filling over the top of one cookie and firmly press the other cookie on top, being careful not to break it. Chill the cookies, covered, in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up the filling. Sprinkle them with powdered sugar just before serving.

   6. Cookies will stay fresh, covered in the fridge, for 1 week.

   Enjoy!