Lemon Softie Cookies
      recipe courtesy of Woman's Day, 11/18/97 Collector's Cookbook


      Ingredients
      1 stick (1/2 c.) unsalted butter, softened
      1 c. granulated sugar
      1 large egg, at room temperature
      1/2 c. regular sour cream
      2 tsp baking powder
      1/2 tsp baking soda
      1/2 tsp grated or ground nutmeg
      1/2 tsp salt
      1/4 tsp vanilla extract
      2 c. flour
      1/2 c blanced almonds, finely chopped
      1/3 c. golden raisins
      1 1/2 T freshly grated lemon peel


      Lemon Icing
      3T unsalted butter, softened
      pinch of salt
      2T fresh lemon juice
      1/2 tsp vanilla extract
      1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg, sour cream, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg. salt and vanilla. Stir in flour, then nuts, raisins and grated lemon peel. Drop heaping teaspoonsful about 2 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheets (cookies will spread). Bake until just pale golden, about 11 minutes. Don't overbake. Cool on sheet on a wire rack 5 minutes , then remove to rack to cool completely.

      Icing
      Beat butter and salt until creamy. Beat in remaining icing ingredients, adding more confectioners' sugar if need for spreading consistency. Ice tops of cookies

      Store airtight with waxed paper between layers at cool room temperature up to 1 day or freeze up to 1 month.

      These candies are especially festive if you decorate them with green and red candied cherries. Cut the green cherries into very thin strips and arrange in a circle to form a wreath. Take two small pieces of red cherry and use them in the bottom of your circle and it will give the appearance of a red bow on the green wreath.