• The cookie dough can be made in either the food processor or a stand mixer.

For Both Methods

• Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients together. Crack the egg into a small bowl and add the vanilla extract. Whisk the egg and vanilla extract together.

Food Processor Mixing Method

• Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients together. Crack the egg into a small bowl and add the vanilla extract. Whisk the egg and vanilla extract together.
• Place the sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Zest the lemon directly into the bowl on top of the sugar. Process the sugar-lemon mixture for about 30 seconds.
• Add the butter, the cream cheese to the food processor. Process the ingredients together until the ingredients are well combined and the dough appears creamy.
• With the food processor running, slowly pour the beat egg into the food processor through the feeding tube. Once the mixture is well combined, scrape the sides of the food processor bowl and make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
• Add the dry ingredients all at once. Process the dough until it starts to form a ball of dough.

Stand Mixer Mixing Method

• Place the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the lemon directly into the bowl on top of the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar.
• Add the butter, the cream cheese to the butter. With the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients on medium speed until the ingredients come together are well combined and the dough appears creamy.
• Add the egg mixture and mix on medium speed until the egg is fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl.
• Add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix the dough on low speed until the flour is incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough comes together into large clumps.

For Both Methods

• The dough will be a little sticky. Generously flour a work surface and your hands. Place the dough on the work surface, divide the dough into 2 even pieces (about 430 grams each). Shape each piece of dough into an 1/2-inch rectangle.
• Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
• At this point the cookie dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. Place both pieces of dough (after the initial refrigeration) in a large freezer-safe bag. Freeze the cookie dough for up to 1 month.

Bake the Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
• Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Flour your work surface. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out the cookie shapes. Reroll the dough scrapes to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out additional cookies.
• Place the cookies about 2-inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until the bottom edges are lightly golden brown. If you want your cookies a little on the pale side, aim for about 10-12 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

How to Store the Cookies

• The unfrosted (undecorated) cookies can be stored in a airtight container for up to 10 days.

Decorating the Cookie

• Make one (1) recipe of the vanilla buttercream. Determine how many different colors of buttercream you want. Place 1 cup of buttercream in a small mixing bowl and stir in the food coloring. Repeat this step for each color.
• Spoon the buttercream into the piping bags and decorate your cookies.
• Once the cookies are decorated with the buttercream they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. After 2 days store the cookies (in the container) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The buttercream will last longer, but the cookies will begin to dry out.