Lime Meltaways

Made these for the good old preschool bake sale, and while I was afraid that making five kinds of cookies and two kinds of bread might have been overboard, in the end I was glad. Mid-afternoon someone came by looking for something sweet that had no eggs, and I was proud to have these goodies to offer. But even if you don't have food restrictions, these tart, powdery gems are a super summer treat.

I'm horrified to admit I didn't take a picture. I made these the night before the bake sale, and they were almost immediately wrapped up and I must have just forgotten. Here's a stock photo from Martha, though:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 limes

2 T fresh lime juice (2 limes'll do it)

1 T pure vanilla extract (that's right, Tablespoon - not teaspoon)

1 3/4 cups plus 2 T all-purpose flour

2 T cornstarch

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1. Put butter and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the lime zest and juice and the vanilla, and mix until fluffy.

2. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.

3. Divide dough in half. Place each log on an 8x12 sheet of parchment. Roll in parchment to form a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Refrigerate logs (in water glasses on their sides, so no side gets flat) until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Remove parchment from logs; cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool slightly, 8-10 minutes. While still warm, toss cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies