Well, I hate to point out the obvious, but…we survived. The world goes on.
Hopefully, you’re prepared for Christmas because it’s coming in just three more days and now you really have no excuse for not being ready. However, whether you’ve accidentally left everything to the last minute (or not), I’m here to help.
First of all, you must go make some lemon butter. It’s quick! It’s easy! It’s delicious! It makes a wonderful gift! Aside from its extremely high deliciousness factor, it’s darn cute!
But if you want to go the extra mile, make some rosemary lemon shortbread-esque cookies, and then sandwich them together with a creamy mixture of lemon butter and mascarpone cheese. Umm, yeah…you’re going to want to do this, if not for others then for yourself. And don’t fret! If you just don’t have the time or energy to make your own lemon butter, you could certainly substitute store bought lemon curd or even lemon pie filling for the lemon butter. Although I highly recommend going the extra mile and making your own lemon butter. Just sayin’. And please, don’t be afraid of the rosemary in this recipe. It adds a very subtle flavor that complements the lemon beautifully. This ain’t no one-dimensional cookie. This is a multidimensional cookie!
Thank you to my lovely coworker, Jenn for sharing this recipe with me. It comes from the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens. And let me tell you, it’s decadent. I encourage you to double the recipe as one batch only makes about 18 sandwiches. But then again, you will most certainly be tempted to eat these little creatures, so if you don’t plan on getting them out of your house immediately, this may be a case where less is more. Consider yourself warned.
Make these friends. Share them with some special people. And get back to the celebrations of the season. Much love (and cookies) to you all.
Rosemary-Lemon Sandwich Cookies (barely adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, Dec. 2012)
Makes about 18 sandwich cookies.
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar + extra for dipping
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp. lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup lemon butter
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare your cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar, rosemary, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt, and beat until combined. Scrape the bowl to ensure everything is well incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, and then add the flour.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place on the cookie sheets. With the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon butter and mascarpone cheese. Spread on the bottom sides of half of the cookies, and top with the remaining cookies to make sandwiches. Layer sandwich cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.
