The next recipe was part of the cookbook’s “Cooky Primer” section, and they were the first pressed cookie of this adventure — “Lemon Cheese Pressed Cookies” from p. 22.

These were slightly tart, slightly sweet cookies shaped by a cookie press.

The dough was made with butter, cream cheese, egg, lemon zest and juice, sugar, flour and baking powder. I don’t think I had ever used cream cheese in cookie dough before embarking on this baking adventure, and this is the third that has used it.

The recipe called for the dough to cool down for about 30 minutes. I left in the fridge for a couple of hours, which worked quite well.

Once chilled, the dough was loaded into my cookie press, and pressed out onto an ungreased cookie sheet. The ungreased part is crucial for pressed cookies. The dough needs to stick lightly to the cookie sheet as you use the press, otherwise the dough will just stay with the press in a long, unseemly mass. (Not that I’ve had any experience with that!)

I also found that it was quite helpful for the cookie sheets to be somewhat cool. I stuck mine in the refrigerator for a couple minutes between batches, and it worked like a dream.

Then these just bake until light golden brown. They don’t spread very much, so you are only limited by the footprint of your cookie press for how closely you can put them on the cookie sheet.

If I were to make them again, I might add a sprinkle of sugar before baking, since they could have used just a little extra texture.

Bottom line: These were slightly tart and lightly sweet cookies. Very tasty, and hard to eat just one! Once I figured out the trick of cooling the cookie sheets in the refrigerator for a minute or two before pressing the cookies, they were very easy. I would definitely make these again.