Key Lime Meltaways

**MisaLady** · 08-22-2008, 10:17 AM

Key Lime Meltaways

Recipe Description

Tasty little cookies.

I got this recipe from smittenkitchen.com. I've slightly modified it.

Preparation Steps:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Zest your limes. You can use the small holes on your grater for this if you have no zester.
Separate out 2/3 cup of powdered sugar. This is for coating your cookies.

Level of Difficulty:

easy-peasy

Time Needed:

15 minutes plus waiting/baking time, total 2 hours

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) margarine or butter, at temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
Grated zest of 4 tiny or 2 large key limes (can use regular limes)
2 tablespoons lime juice (I used the bottled key lime juice)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt (if using margarine, reduce to a pinch)

Serves:

5 dozen

Directions:

1. Cream 1/3 cup powdered sugar and the butter/margarine. Add the juice, vanilla, and lime zest. Beat until fluffy.

2. IN A SEPARATE BOWL, whisk together cornstarch, salt, and flour. You must do this to ensure they're evenly combined. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.

4. Roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Wrap in parchment or wax paper. Chill at least 1 hour.

5. After one hour, line two baking sheets with either tin foil or, preferably, parchment. Silicon liners work well, too. You could also do one sheet at a time, but that takes longer.

6. Place remaining powdered sugar in a resealable plastic bag or a bowl. A bag is highly suggested if you don't handle warm foods touching your fingers very well.

7. Remove parchment from logs. slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.

8. Place rounds on baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.

9. Bake cookies until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Better to slightly undercook than over overcook, I've found. Transfer cookies to cutting board or wire rack to cool for 2 or 3 minutes. WHILE STILL WARM, toss in powdered sugar. The bag comes in handy here, but I just did it in a bowl and it worked out fine. I had sugar leftover, so don't worry if you do, too.

10. Either freeze or bake any remaining dough. The cookies keep for two weeks, in an airtight container... if they last that long!!