Recipe: Lemon Softie Cookies with Lemon Icing (using sour cream, almonds and raisins)

LEMON SOFTIE COOKIES

1 stick (1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated lemon peel
Lemon Icing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg, sour cream, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and vanilla.

Stir in flour, then nuts, raisins and grated lemon peel. Drop heaping teaspoonfuls about 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (cookies will spread).

Bake until just pale golden, about 11 minutes. Don't overbake. Cool on sheet on a wire rack 5 minutes , then remove to rack to cool completely before icing.

Store airtight with waxed paper between layers at cool room temperature up to 1 day or freeze up to 1 month.

LEMON ICING

3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Beat butter and salt until creamy. Beat in remaining icing ingredients, adding more confectioners' sugar if need for spreading consistency. Ice tops of cooled cookies

VARIATION:
These candies are especially festive if you decorate them with green and red candied cherries. Cut the green cherries into very thin strips and arrange in a circle to form a wreath. Take two small pieces of red cherry and use them in the bottom of your circle and it will give the appearance of a red bow on the green wreath.

Source: Woman's Day Collector's Cookbook, November 18, 1997