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1
Use a whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then sift this into another bowl and set aside.
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2
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter with the cream cheese and shortening until homogenous, then add the granulated sugar in a steady stream, beating constantly on a moderate speed until light.
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3
Beat in 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar and, when well mixed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
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4
Add the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla and beat well.
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5
Stop the machine and, using a large rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and across the bottom of the bowl.
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6
Beat again, briefly.
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7
Stop the machine and add all of the dry ingredients.
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8
With the machine on a slow speed, stir the mixture until the flour is well mixed, but dont overwork the batter.
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9
Run the spatula underneath the batter, incorporating any unmixed fat.
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10
Cover the bowl and chill the batter for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or up to overnight.
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11
Position the rack on the center shelf.
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12
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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13
(Although its preferable to bake these cookies on the center shelf, if not working with a double oven, place the racks on the upper-and lower-third shelves.)
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14
Line several cushioned cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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15
Place the remaining 1 cup of confectioners sugar on a plate and place it next to your work surface, along with a large triggered ice cream scoop with a liquid capacity of a generous 1/3 cup or a 1/3-cup measuring cup.
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16
Shaping one cookie at a time, use the ice cream scoop to retrieve a level portion of the chilled batter and release it into your nonworking hand thats been dusted with confectioners sugar.
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17
Use your index finger to release any clinging batter from inside the scoop and add this to the batter in your hand.
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18
Coat your working hand in sugar and gently shape the batter into a ball (the mixture will feel very soft and light).
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19
If at any time the dough starts to stick to your hands, dust your hands lightly with more sugar.
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20
Place the ball on a prepared cookie sheet.
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21
Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing four balls on each sheet.
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22
Use your hand to gently flatten the balls evenly, then correct the circular shape as needed.
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23
Bake the cookies in batches for 18 to 21 minutes.
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24
If baking two sheets in one oven, switch the shelf positions after half the baking time.
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25
When done, the cookies will have widened substantially, and the outer rims will be light golden and the middles will be quite light, but firm.
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26
Place the baking sheets on wire racks and let them sit there for 5 minutes before using a thin metal spatula to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool further.
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27
While the cookies bake, keep the remaining batter in the refrigerator.
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28
And before applying more parchment and batter to the sheets, run them under cold water to cool them completely, then dry them well.
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29
(Alternatively, to make these cookies smaller, use a slightly smaller ice cream scoop with a liquid capacity of 1/4 cup.
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30
Bake these for between 14 and 17 minutes.
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31
This will yield about six more cookies.)
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32
Make the glazes.
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33
Place 3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar in a glass mixing bowl.
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34
Melt the chopped chocolate either in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring constantly, or in the microwave on high for about 1 minute, stirring after heating until perfectly smooth.
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35
Stir the chocolate into the confectioners sugar along with the light corn syrup, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
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36
Stir in 5 tablespoons boiling water.
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37
If too thick to spread, add more boiling water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
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38
If it ever becomes too thin, stir in some more confectioners sugar.
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39
When right, the mixture should be dark and thick but pourable and very smooth and shiny.
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40
Set this aside.
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41
Place 3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar in a glass mixing bowl and add the corn syrup, vanilla, and milk.
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42
Mix until perfectly smooth.
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43
If too fluid, add more confectioners sugar or, if too dry, add a more few drops of milk.
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44
When right, the mixture should be bright white, quite thick, and very smooth and shiny.
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45
Set it aside.
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46
Tear off two long sheets of waxed paper and lay them, slightly overlapping, on your counter.
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47
Place the racks holding the cookies over the paper.
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48
Lay another sheet of waxed paper alongside and place the bowls of glaze on the paper next to the cookies.
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49
Stick a short metal icing spatula or a regular table knife into each bowl of glaze.
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50
Lift one cookie off the rack and hold it over the bowl of chocolate glaze in your nonworking hand.
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51
Use the spatula to spread the glaze generously and evenly over only half of the cooled cookie, allowing any excess glaze to fall back into the bowl.
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52
Use the spatula to scrape off any glaze from the bottom edge of the cookie.
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53
Place the cookie back in its original spot on the rack.
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54
Continue this with the remaining cookies until all of them have been half-covered in chocolate.
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55
Repeat this procedure with the white glaze, meeting the chocolate flush in the center.
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56
When finished, each cookie should be lavishly coated with the two glazes.
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57
Let the cookies sit on their racks, uncovered, until the glaze is completely set (it will feel firm and no longer sticky), which can take a few hours, even on a dry day.
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58
When set, the cookies can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature.
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59
These cookies will stay perfectly tender and very moist for several days.
