How to Prepare Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
🥣 Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer and bowl to cream butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes until smooth.
🍋 Add sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth. Then add flour, and mix until a sticky dough forms. Scrape down the sides to fully incorporate any remaining flour.
🧊 Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
🥄 Remove dough from the refrigerator, use a small ice-cream scooper to portion the cookies, rolling each in a touch of flour to prevent sticking.
🍓 Place rolled cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten each with your thumb, creating an indent, and add a teaspoon of preferred jam/preserve to the center.
🔥 Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are light and golden brown.
❄️ Allow the cookies to cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.
Nonna’s Tip 🍋
You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.
Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Variations and Substitutions
These Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies have a few tricks up their sleeves! Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try one of these changes!
Try adding a decorative topping like chopped nuts or a sprinkle of coarse sugar for holiday decoration.
I have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flour, but feel free to experiment with a gluten-free 1-1 replacement and let me know how it goes!
Instead of lemon extract, you could try almond, vanilla, orange or another you have on hand.
Feel free to experiment with different jams or preserves, for example, you could use strawberry, raspberry, apricot or even marmalade.
You could try dairy-free or vegan alternatives to the butter and cream cheese if you or your guests have allergies.
