1. Preheat the oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats—this helps prevent the cookies from sticking.

2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for later.

3. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy—this usually takes about 3-4 minutes. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer for this.

4. Add the egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla: Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add the egg, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. The lemon zest is what really gives these cookies that fresh, bright flavor, so make sure to zest your lemons right before using them to get all that delicious oil.

5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined—don’t overwork the dough, as this will make the cookies tough.

6. Shape the dough into balls: Use a tablespoon or a cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Roll each portion into a ball and place it onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. These cookies don’t spread much, so they’ll keep their shape.

7. Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. You want the center to be soft and just set.

8. Let the cookies cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. Make the lemon cream filling: While the cookies are cooling, it’s time to make the lemon cream filling. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. Then, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined. Be gentle so the whipped cream doesn’t deflate.

10. Assemble the cookies: Once the cookies have cooled, spread a generous amount of lemon cream on the bottom of one cookie, then top it with another cookie to create a sandwich. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.

11. Serve and enjoy: These cookies are best enjoyed the same day, but you can also store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.