Baking.

So here are two recipes I made in the past week that are a must!  I have a slight affinity for cream cheese hence both of them are somewhat centered on it :)

Zucchini Nut Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling

*Recipe from: Martha Stewart Living, May 2011

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Coarse salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely grated zucchini
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Beat 1 stick butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
2. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix in zucchini, oats, and walnuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Then heat oven to 350.
3. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 17 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
4. Beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter, the cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon filling onto the flat side of 1 cookie, and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with
   remaining filling and cookies.
   
   
   
   
   LEMON CREAM CHEESE COOKIES
   
   
   *I modified the recipe slightly to make them more lemony and more chewy.
   (from foodiefriends.blogspot.com)
   
   
   Ingredients:
   3/4 cup butter, softened
   1- 3 oz pkg cream cheese
   1 cup sugar
   2 T grated lemon rind
   1 egg
   2 T lemon juice
   3 cups flour
   1/2 tsp salt
   1 tsp baking powder
   
   Heat oven to 375. Blend ingredients. Shape into small balls (approx. 1 in) and place on baking sheet. Flatten with glass dipped in flour (I did sugar). Bake 8-10 mins. Do not overbake. Frost while warm with glaze (I used extra cream cheese frosting I had made).
   *PS: I also used embossing stamps to make floral imprints on top of each one...just an idea!
   
   Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 3-4 tsp milk until smooth. (You can use less milk and more lemon juice).
   
   
   Here is a great idea of gift packaging the zucchini cookies!*
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   *http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/cookies-clip-art#slide_4
   
   
   Now I am going for a run (in the rain...amazing!), going to pick up these little cuties at New Seasons,
   
   
   
   then off to hang out with the most amazing Little ever!