Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Baking Sheets
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and for easy cleanup. Set aside.

Step 2: Mix the Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon cake mix, softened cream cheese, butter, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon extract (if using). Use an electric mixer on medium speed to blend all the ingredients together until well-combined. The dough will be thick and sticky because of the cream cheese and butter.

Step 3: Roll the Cookie Dough into Balls
Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls with your hands. Don’t worry about making them perfect. The beauty of these cookies lies in their gooey, chewy texture.

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon zest. Roll each dough ball in this sugar mixture until it is fully coated. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Step 4: Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep an eye on them; you want the centers to remain soft and gooey. Be careful not to overbake. The cookies will firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.

Step 5: Cool and Serve
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies are soft and gooey with a crisp edge and a burst of lemon flavor in each bite.