Gluten-Free Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies

This is a recipe my mom created for me. She experimented around with various ingredients and finally came up with this one; the cream cheese is the key ingredient that holds it together.

1 stick butter, softened

1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

lemon rind, grated 1 Tbsp. (optional)

1 ¼ cups white sugar

1 egg

1 ½ cups white rice flour

¾ cup tapioca flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. xanthan gum

Beat together butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg. Mix dry ingredients together; add to creamed mixture and mix with spoon.  Form into balls and roll in powdered sugar. If too sticky, set in refrigerator for an hour before forming into balls.  Flatten onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350° F for 10-13 minutes.