Lemon Curd

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, egg and yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk until smooth and no pieces of eggs remain. *Use a non-metal saucepan like a ceramic coated one to prevent the curd from having a metallic flavor if you prefer.
2. Heat on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning. Cook until thickened and bubbling.
3. Take the curd off the heat and immediately transfer (or strain if lumpy) into a non-metal heat safe container or jar. Add cold cubed butter, and stir. Let the butter melt, stir or whisk until smooth.

Cookies

1. Rub sugar and grated lemon zest with your fingers until sugar is yellow, moist, and fragrant.
2. Add butter, cream cheese, and salt into the bowl with sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy and lightened in color, about 5 minutes.
3. Add a whole egg, an egg yolk, and lemon juice – mixing well between each addition. Scrape down the bowl frequently for even mixing. Add yellow gel food coloring to make it bright yellow (optional).
4. Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda right into the same bowl. Fold the dough just until it’s fully mixed.
5. Portion the dough into balls using a cookie scoop or by hand. You want them to be about 2-3 tablespoons in size. It will make about 18 large cookies.
6. Spread powdered sugar onto a plate. Roll the cookie dough balls in the powdered sugar and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the cookie dough balls right next to each other on the cookie sheet.
7. Use a measuring tablespoon or the back of the cookie scoop to press an indent onto the top of each cookie ball. Place baking sheet into the freezer to chill while you preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
8. Right before baking, roll the cookies in powdered sugar again to get a thick layer on. Space the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake in batches in the middle of the oven for 9-12 minutes. The cookies will be puffed and barely golden on the bottom when done. *don’t overbake them or they will be dry and crumbly.
9. Once baked, press a tablespoon into the top of each cookie to make more space for the lemon curd. Carefully transfer cookies with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Once cooled, fill the middles with heaping tablespoons of lemon curd and serve.