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Drop dough by kitchen teaspoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10–13 minutes or until just set and golden at edges. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

MAKES 36 COOKIES.

LADY BALTIMORE COOKIES

This recipe is inspired by a traditional Southern white cake of the same name. According to one story, the cake was first baked by Alicia Rhett Mayberry of Charleston, South Carolina, for novelist Owen Wister. Wister was supposedly so smitten by the cake, he described it in his next book and even named the novel Lady Baltimore, published in 1906. The icing, loaded with fruits, nuts, and a splash of spirits, is the secret to this cookie’s unique appeal.

1 (16.5-ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into bits

1 cup chopped pecans, preferably lightly toasted

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 recipe Lady Baltimore Frosting (see page 369)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

Break up the cookie dough into large bowl. Add the cream cheese to the bowl; let stand for 10–15 minutes to soften. Add the pecans and almond extract to bowl with dough and cream cheese; mix well with your fingers, the paddle attachment of an electric stand mixer, or a wooden spoon.

Drop dough by kitchen teaspoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10–13 minutes or until just set and golden at edges. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely. Generously frost each cookie with a heaping tablespoon of the icing.

MAKES 32 COOKIES.

Baker’s Note

You can substitute the nuts of your choice—almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts— in place of pecans.

LEMON-GINGER CREAM CHEESE SOFTIES

The pleasant bite of ginger coupled with the zing of lemon gives these cookies grownup appeal.

1 (18.25-ounce) package lemon cake mix

2 teaspoons ground ginger

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted

4 ounces (half of an 8-ounce) package) cream cheese, softened

1 large egg

1 recipe Lemon Icing (see page 368), optional

Preheat oven to 350°F. Position oven rack in middle of oven.

Place half of the cake mix in a large mixing bowl along with the ginger, melted butter, softened cream cheese, and egg. Blend with an electric mixer set on medium-high speed for 1–2 minutes, until smooth. Stir in the remaining cake mix with a wooden spoon until all dry ingredients are moistened (dough will be sticky).

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets; smooth edge of each to form round cookie.

Bake for 9–12 minutes or until edges are set and just barely set at center when lightly touched (do not overbake; cookies will become more firm as they cool). Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. If desired, prepare lemon icing; drizzle over cooled cookies.

MAKES 48 COOKIES.

LEMON-GINGER WHITE CHOCOLATE SOFTIES

One of my lemon-loving friends informs me that these soft and tender cookies are now near the top of her list of all-time favorite cookies. Combining the cookie dough with the cream cheese could not be easier—just be sure to soften the cream cheese to room temperature for easy mixing. A wooden spoon will work, but for best results, use an electric mixer. If you have a stand mixer, opt for the paddle attachment.

1 (16.5-ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough

6 ounces (¾ of an 8-ounce package) cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 recipe Lemon Icing (see page 368)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

Break up the cookie dough into large bowl; let stand for 10–15 minutes to soften. Add the cream cheese, lemon zest, and ginger. Mix well with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add the white chocolate chips; mix well with a wooden spoon.

Drop dough by kitchen teaspoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10–13 minutes, until just set