Lemon Sandwich Cookies with Apricot Cream Cheese Filling

I've been thinking about the idea of a lemon cookie with an apricot cream cheese filling for several weeks now.  My first attempt was a bit of a baking disaster, but now I have a recipe squared away. 

Remember the recipe newspaper clipping in my great-grandmother's 1933 datebook that I used as a springboard for Magic Middles?  The clipping also recommend a sour cream dough to Mrs. M. F., and I thought the dough would take on a lemon flavor quite nicely.  The only problem was that we were out of sour cream, and I really wanted to give the cookies a try, so I replaced the sour cream with non-fat Greek-style yogurt.  I should have known better.  Who replaces regular sour cream with non-fat yogurt in cookie dough and thinks the results will taste good?  Apparently I do, in moments of baking weakness.  The cookies definitely broke the nasty cookie scale.  When Scott tried one, he called them "crookies" because they were half cracker, half cookie in texture.  The next day I could barely even break the crookies in half.  I'm sad to say the whole batch was tossed. 

Undeterred, a few days later, I decided to try a different route.  I liked the Magic Middle dough so much that I chose to use it as a template to create the recipe for these cookies.  The end result is so much better than the crookies.  The recipe yields a lot of sandwiches, so it is an excellent choice for when you need a large quantity of cookies.

Notes:
If you're pressed for time, the cookies are great plain, but the filling really brings them to the next level.  The filled cookies can be stored for several days in the fridge (they actually taste better on the second day) without getting soggy.  The apricot flavor is not pronounced in the filling, but it gives the filling a little flavor kick.  I used the lemon sugar to boost the lemon flavor.  If you don't feel like doing that, you could roll the cookies in plain white sugar.  The frosting recipe will make a little more frosting than you need, so don't feel as though you need to skimp when you're filling the cookies. 

Dough recipe adapted from an undated newspaper clipping in my great-grandmother's 1933 datebook 

Cookie Ingredients:
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon Sugar (for Rolling) Ingredients:
½ cup white sugar
zest of half a lemon

Apricot Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
¾ cup water
⅓ cup white sugar
zest of half a lemon
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 ounces regular cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Yields 5-6 dozen sandwich cookies

Mix:
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder, and set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy after each addition.  Beat in the lemon extract, zest, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla, add the flour mixture all at once, and beat just until the dough begins to come together. 

Shape and Bake:
Line two baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375°F.  Prepare the lemon sugar by mixing together the ½ cup of white sugar with the zest of half a lemon in a shallow bowl.  Break off a teaspoon-sized (~7-8 grams) piece of dough, and roll it into a ball.  Roll the ball in the lemon sugar to coat it, and place the ball on the prepared cookie sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the dough balls approximately 2 inches apart.  Once the cookie sheets are full, use the bottom of a drinking glass to gently flatten each ball until it is approximately a ¼-inch thick.  Dip the bottom of the glass in the lemon sugar if the cookies begin to stick to it.  Bake the cookies at 375°F, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat until all of the cookies are baked.  If not filling immediately, store the cookies in an airtight container once they are cool.  

Make the Filling:
Place the chopped apricots in a saucepan with the water and the sugar.  Cook the mixture, stirring regularly, until the apricots have absorbed all of the water and have a thick, jam-like consistency.  Add the lemon zest and juice, and set the pan aside to allow the mixture to cool.  In a separate bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until they are fluffy.  Beat in the cooled apricot mixture, then the powdered sugar and flour.  Beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.  If it is runny, add additional powdered sugar, as needed. 

Fill the Cookies:
Take the cookies, and make pairs of the cookies that look alike (i.e., match the size and shape of the cookies).  Place the pairs side by side on a cookie sheet or plate with the bottoms facing up.  Fill a large Ziplock or piping bag with the filling.  Try your best to place the filling towards one of the bottom corners of the bag, as opposed to just filling the entire bag.  Secure the top of the bag with a twist tie just above where the filling ends, and snip off the bottom corner of the bag that you placed the filling in.  Pipe a mound of filling on the bottom of one of the cookies for each pair.  Don’t put the filling all the way to the edge of the cookie, because when the cookies are sandwiched, it may ooze out.  After one cookie from each pair has filling on it, place the second cookie on top of the filling to form a sandwich, and gently push down so it is securely attached.  Store the filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Pin It