Anise-Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

Spring gives good reason to celebrate the taste of fresh lemon. Next try pairing it with cream cheese and anise in some tender little cookies. Amazing!

Cheesecake itself, has been a dessert many of us have loved for years. Using cream cheese has become so common, it is used in just about any application you can think of sweet or savory. Cheesecake cookies are the perfect back drop to showcase the unique taste of anise.

Slightly sweet, anise has an appealing licorice-like flavor and aroma. It has been a popular herb in holiday and special occasion treats for centuries, around the world. Since it requires at least 120 frost free days to ripen the seeds, anise is difficult to grow in cooler regions. The fact that it has a long tap root also makes it hard to grow in a container indoors. Seeds, extract and oil are all used in cooking, but the leaves can also be tossed in salads or dropped into the water when boiling shellfish.

To complete this cookie creation today, I made an eggless lemon curd to sandwich them with. I found this recipe was best made over two days. Use the first day to prepare the dough, bake the cookies and make the lemon curd. Waiting a day to assemble the cookie sandwiches gives both cookies and curd ample time to cool. This is definitely a cookie designed with flavor in mind.

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Anise-Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

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Rating: 5
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Course

dessert

Cuisine

American, European, German, Italian

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Eggless Lemon Curd

• 1 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (OR use half fresh & half bottled)
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• lemon zest from 2 lemons (optional)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water
• 2 Tbsp butter,
• 2 drops yellow food color

Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 230 grams cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp EACH anise extract & anise seeds
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Course dessert Cuisine American, European, German, Italian Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Eggless Lemon Curd 1 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (OR use half fresh & half bottled) 1 1/4 cup sugar lemon zest from 2 lemons (optional) 1/4 tsp salt 2 Tbsp milk 3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water 2 Tbsp butter, 2 drops yellow food color Cookies 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 230 grams cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp EACH anise extract & anise seeds 1 tsp lemon zest 2 1/2 cups flour 2 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp salt

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Lemon Curd

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest & salt, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Add the cornstarch mixture & the milk, stirring well to combine. Cook until mixture begins to thicken, about 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly until the first few bubbles appear on the surface. Add butter & food color; continue to cook until resembles thick pudding. Transfer to a dish; cover with plastic wrap & allow to cool completely before placing in refrigerator. Chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or preferably overnight.

Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Beat cream cheese & butter together at high speed until fluffy & smooth; 1-2 minutes. Add sugar & beat until fully incorporated & fluffy; 1-2 minutes. Beat in eggs, lemon zest, anise extract & seeds.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix ONLY until blended, DO NOT OVER MIX. Batter will be sticky. Using a small scoop, drop cookies onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Cookies should be light in color, not browned & just starting to brown on the bottom. Cool cookies on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Assembly

1. The following day, lay out half of the cookies; spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of lemon curd onto the center of each cookie. Top each with the remaining cookies & gently press together until the filling reaches the edges of the cookies.