These have become one of my favorite holiday cookies! They remain soft and chewy, and the lemon glaze gives them a pop of tart flavor.
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
2 T. lemon juice concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups flour
Cream all the ingredients except the flour until well blended, and then add the flour. Roll dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap or wax paper, and chill at least an hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 350º. On a floured surface, roll out half the dough at a time and cut into shapes. Place an inch apart on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and bake about 8 minutes until firm but not brown. Cool on wire racks. For glaze, mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 T. lemon juice concentrate (or enough to make a thin mixture). Brush on cooled cookies with a pastry brush and allow to dry. Leave plain, or decorate with buttercream (recipe below) or your favorite frosting. About 4 dozen.