Saturday, December 19, 2009

Lime Meltaways


A new cookie recipe in my usual Christmas cookie repertoire. So many cookies involve nuts, chocolate, coconut, etc. But, few I have tried use citrus. I thought it would be a nice change. They have a buttery, shortbread texture & a fresh, tart lime flavor.
These cookies are super easy. The dough can be made ahead & frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, simply slice the dough & cook. This is perfect for this time of year, when doing ahead comes in handy.
I doubled the original recipe here. So, it can easily be halved.

Begin by whisking together 3 3/4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch & 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Next, finely grate the zest of 4 limes.

Add the zest to a small bowl & add in a 1/4 cup of lime juice & a tablespoon of vanilla extract. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 3 sticks of unsalted butter with 2/3 cups of confectioners' sugar,

until light & fluffy {about 4 minutes}.

Beat in the lime zest, lime juice & vanilla until incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients & beat until just blended.

Divide the dough in quarters. Roll each quarter into a log & place on a sheet of parchment paper.

Using a ruler, press along the edge of the parchment to narrow the log, until 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Chill the dough until firm, about 1 hour, or freeze up to 2 months.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the parchment & slice the dough into 1/4" rounds

Space the rounds 1" apart on a parchment lined baking sheet & bake for 13 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

When cool, gently toss the cookies in a bowl of confectioners' sugar until evenly dusted. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Lime Meltaways

Adapted from Martha Stewart: Cookies
Makes about 7 1/2 dozen

1 1/2 cups {3 sticks} unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cups confectioners' sugar {plus more for dusting cookies}
Finely grated zest of 4 limes
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Whisk the flour, cornstarch & salt in a mixing bowl & set aside.
Combine the softened butter & the confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment & beat until light & fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the lime zest, lime juice & vanilla extract until incorporated, occasionally scraping down the bowl.
Add the dry ingredients & beat until just blended. Divide the dough in quarters. Roll each quarter into a log & place on a sheet of parchment paper. Using a ruler, press along the edge of the parchment to narrow the log, until 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Chill the dough until firm, about 1 hour, or freeze up to 2 months.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the parchment & slice the dough into 1/4" rounds. Space the rounds 1" apart on a parchment lined baking sheet & bake for 13 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. When cool, toss the cookies gently in a bowl of confectioners' sugar until evenly dusted. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Click here for the printable recipe.

21 comments:

Chocolate Shavings said...

I LOVE this martha stewart recipe, and you meltaways look delicious!

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

I can just imagine how the tartness of the lime would balance the richness of all the butter. I'd love to try this sometime.

Mar Calpena said...

The recipe sounds amazing! I have one doubt, though. When you list 2/3 cups sugar, do you mean two thirds of a cup or two or three cups? I suspect it's the former, but could you tell me which is correct (I'm dying to try those cookies)?

Ju (The Little Teochew) said...

Your cookies immediately caught my attention. They look absolutely divine! I will try making them for sure. Thanks! :)

marla (Family Fresh Cooking) said...

These lime cookies look delish!! Great photos. I like the in process shots too!!

Kate at Serendipity said...

I've been looking for a recipe for lime cookies. This looks like the one! THANKS

Susan Salzman said...

I have been making these for years. I love these cookies. Your cookies look great!

Kevin said...

Those cookies look so good! I liek the step by step photos.

Lucy said...

I love this recipe - the cookies look utterly delicious!

kate said...

Thanks everyone for your kind comments! I hope you all enjoy them :)

Mar Calpena~ I neglected to mention in the post that my recipe is actually a doubled version of the original recipe...by Martha Stewart {it's easy to find online}. I needed a lot!
And yes, it's 2/3 cups. It's not a lot of sugar in comparison to the butter, but don't forget they get rolled in more.

lostpastremembered said...

Lime cookies???? sign me up!!! These look fabulous.

pegasuslegend said...

These look fabulous even if a person wouldn't like lime the picture makes you want some of these right now..just fabulous photo and congrats on Top 9

myluscioustemple said...

Yum! I am going to try these cookies. They look fantastic.

cookbookapprentice said...

This is such a pretty post to look at and the cookies sound absolutely wonderful! I love just about anything with lime.

Amy J In SC said...

I am making these this week! Lime is a favorite of mine so I may have to stay up late to fit them in the schedule but they look worth it.

meaghan said...

i just made these . they turned out wonderful. absolutely delicious. thanks for posting!

Ju (The Little Teochew) said...

Made these today and loved them! Linked you in my post :) Thanks!!

Marisa said...

Lovely! They look so delicate dusted with icing sugar.

Saveurs et Gourmandises said...

I love this cookies.
Merry Christmas.
Bonnes fêtes et à bientôt.

Richard said...

These look great!

Richard said...

These look great!

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