Name: Lemon Tea Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter, softened; 1/2 cup sugar; 1 large egg yolk, room temperature; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts; FILLING:; 3 tablespoons butter, softened; 4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice; 3/4 teaspoon grated orange zest; 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar; 2 drops yellow food coloring, optional

These sandwich cookies taste rich and buttery and have a lovely lemon filling. The recipe has been in our family since the 1950s, when my mother got it from a French friend in her club. —Phyllis Dietz, Westland, Michigan

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

FILLING:

3 tablespoons butter, softened

4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 drops yellow food coloring, optional

Instructions

1 In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well.

2 Divide dough in half and shape each half into a 14-in. roll; reshape each roll into a 14x1-1/8x1-1/8-in. block. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3 Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle half the cookies with nuts, gently pressing into dough.

4 Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

5 In a small bowl, cream the butter, lemon juice and orange zest until fluffy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar until smooth. Tint yellow if desired. Spread about 1 teaspoon filling on bottoms of the plain cookies; place nut-topped cookies over filling.