Last night while everyone was sleeping, elves (AKA, Julia, the baking queen of Dundas West) were busy baking Lemon Shortbread in my kitchen. I love when the elves stay up late baking cookies. You might also be noticing those amazing looking Whoopie Pies, they are from Desmond & Beatrice. I posted about them last year here. But they have exciting news! Later this month Desmond & Beatrice will have a store front at 750 Queen East, just east of Broadview! Super exciting right?!

Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Small Batch)
about 3 dozen cookies, depending on size

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for an hour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 of a standard cream cheese package)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and add the sugar. Cream until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat until golden. Add the cream cheese and again beat until well incorporated. Add the flavorings and lemon zest.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl then add, bit by bit, to the butter/sugar mixture until fully incorporated.

Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.

Heat the oven to 350° F. Divide the dough into smaller balls and roll out 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookies.

Bake cookies for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness. The small, thinner ones started browning after about 8 minutes, and I didn’t want these brown at all. The larger ones had a slight golden bottom after 11 minutes, which was perfect for my purposes.

Let cool before icing or decorating, and store in a tightly covered container.