Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Very nice, classy sugar cookies - rolled quite thin and not too sweet. I got the recipe from Land O'Lakes. It makes a very large quantity so next time I will halve the quantities.

I think I'm getting the hang of making rolled sugar cookies now:

Chill dough.
Roll in small quantities (only enough to cut about 10 at a time).
Width should be somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 inches (if rolled too thin they are impossible to prize off the pastry board).
Cut, then chill again before separating cookies from the dough.
Remove from fridge, separate cookies from the dough, use angled spatula to get them onto the baking tray.
work quickly, before the dough has a chance to get soft and sticky.

Recipe:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Sour Cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla1
2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Decorator sugars,and if desired Decorator frostings

Combine 2 cups flour and all remaining ingredients except decorator sugars and frosting in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in remaining 2 cups flour gradually, in portions, by hand.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions; wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Heat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on well floured surface, one portion at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to just over 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets; sprinkle with decorator sugars. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Decorate with frostings.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

These are really good. The recipe is from "Epicurious." The cheesecake has just enough lemony flavor and is very easy to make. I am not very fond of graham crackers so I used nilla wafers and animal crackers combined. Any mix of choice would be nice - perhaps ginger cookies and shortbread cookies.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Crust:
1-1/2 cups of Animal Crackers and Nilla Wafers, crushed
5 tablespoons butter

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PreparationFor crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Fold 16-inch long piece of foil to 8x16-inch strip; place in 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan, leaving overhang on 2 sides. Repeat with another sheet of foil in opposite direction, lining pan completely. Butter foil.

Finely chop crackers in a food processer. Melt butter in microwave.Add to crumbs and pulse until mixed. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Leave in refrigerator overnight to harden. Bake crust until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Cool crust while preparing filling.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and sour cream, then lemon juice, lemon peel, and vanilla. Spread batter over crust.

Bake cheesecake until slightly puffed and set in center, about 30 minutes; cool completely in pan on rack. Chill cheesecake until cold, at least 2 hours. Cover; keep chilled.

Using foil overhang as aid, lift cheesecake from pan. Cut into 16 squares; arrange on platter. Top each square with berries. Chill until ready to serve, up to 3 hours. Serve chilled.