Although I am making these cookies for Christmas, the fact is that Lemon Meltaways are perfect year-round. In the wintertime, they are a great complement to a cup of hot tea, with lovely citrus notes that offer a change to the typical peppermint and cloves that we enjoy so much during the cold months. But, in the summer, too, these pair well with lemonade or fruit, a great snack while sitting outside watching the world roll by.
For those of you with extra baking confidence, I encourage you to try these with other citrus fruits, replacing lemon with orange, grapefruit, lime, or (when you can find them) Meyer Lemons.
Lemon Meltaways
Inspired by: My Baking Addiction
Ingredients
3/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c powdered sugar, divided*
zest of 3 lemons
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, or the juice of about 1 lemon
1 T vanilla extract
1 3/4 c + 2 T all-purpose flour
2 T cornstarch
¼ t kosher salt
(*note: if you have non-melting powdered sugar, instead use 1/3 c powdered sugar and 2/3 of the non-melting version)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and 1/3 c powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, beating until incorporated. If the mixture separates, just continue mixing and it will come back together and become creamy.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in ¼ c- ½ c increments until it is well-combined.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 1½-inch diameter log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill for an hour, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove dough from fridge, unwrap. If any perfecting of the dough shape/size is needed, now is the time to do it. Cut into ¼-inch thick slices. Place on lined baking sheets (parchment or silpat). These cookies will not spread so you can put them fairly close to one another.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until just starting to golden.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
- Place remaining 2/3 c powdered sugar (or, if available, non-melting powdered sugar) in a gallon-size plastic bag, add cookies, and gently toss to coat.
- Remove from bag and finish cooling on a cooling rack.
Sweet Jumbles 