These delicate apricot cheese biscuits are always soft and full of flavour.  Any chance I get to adding apricot into my life I take it! They have the tangy sweetness of apricot preserve/jam which makes for a subtle flavour that is not too sweet.  If you are afternoon tea – these are a must!  Very simple preparation and will add some sunshine to your day with their bright apricot look.

Time:

2 hours and 30 min

Serves:

8

Good for:

• Afternoon tea
• Baby showers or other gathering (school bakes)
• Summery treat

Ingredients:

• 1 ½  cup butter, softened
• 1 ½  cup white sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 ½  tspn lemon zest
• 4 ½  cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½  tspn baking powder
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration

 Kitchen things you’ll need:

• Large bowl
• Electric mixer
• Cookie Sheet
• Parchment paper
• Spoon/Ice cream scoop

Making it:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese until smooth.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the cream cheese mixture until just combined.
• Cover, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and place them 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Make an indention in the centre of each ball with your index finger, and fill with 1/2 teaspoon of apricot preserves.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden.
• Let the cookies cool completely and then sprinkle some confectioner’s sugar.