Ombré Raspberry Lemon Sugar Cookies

Instructions

For the Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl stir the flour and baking powder together, set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your hands to work the zest into the sugar, releasing the oils.
3. Add the butter, and use an electric mixer to cream until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix until creamy and well mixed.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Dough will be crumbly.
5. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together.
6. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out using cookie cutters. Place cut out cookies on a lined cookie sheet 1-2 inches apart and freeze for 5 minutes before baking.
7. Bake each batch 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.

For the Frosting:

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add lemon juice and the powdered sugar, one cup at a time until fluffy and creamy.
2. Add a sprinkle of the raspberry powder and decorate the first few cookies. Add a little more raspberry powder and decorate a few more, gradually adding more powder to each batch, creating a gradual darker pink.
3. Cookies last up to a week stored in an air tight container in the fridge.