Holiday Recipes     Home Page Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprints May 28th, 2003, 10:54pm, Posted by Chris These always look so pretty on the cookie plates I give for Christmas. Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 15 Minutes. Ready in: approx. 2 Hours 30 Minutes. Makes 7 dozen (84 servings). Source: Allrecipes.com, Submitted by Mellan 1 1/2 cups butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 2 eggs 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup apricot preserves 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration Directions: 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. Using your finger, make an indention in the center of each ball, and fill with 1/2 teaspoon of apricot preserves. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.