Ornament Lemon Cookies

Enjoy these delicious holiday cookies without packing on the pounds. Use reduced fat cream cheese to reduce calories.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 cupss confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 3 tbs. meringue powder, like Wilton 
• Red food coloring

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.   In bowl of electric mixer on medium speed, beat first 3 ingredients 1 min. or until or until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour. Beat 1 min. or just until dough forms. Divide dough in half; shape each half into 8" x 1 3/4: log.  Wrap logs in wax paper. Chill 1 hour.

Cut dough logs into 1/4" – thick slices.  Arrange slices 2" apart on greased baking sheets.  Bake 8 min. or until edges begin to brown.  Let cool in pans 5 min.  Tansfer cookies to cooling racks; let cool completely.

For glaze: In clean bowl of electric mixer on low speed, beat confectionsers' sugar, merigue powder, 2 Tbs. Lemon juice and 6 Tbs. water 5 min. or until smooth, adding additional water if glaze is too thick.  In bowl, blend 1/2 glaze and enough red food coloring to create desired hue.  Decorate cookies with red and white glaze.  Let sit 4 hours. or until set.

Prep time: 25 min.

Per cooie Cal. 60g Sugar 10g Sodium 26mg.