The Scoop
Lime Meltaways bring zest to family tradition with a modern twist.
It was the weekend before my cousin's wedding when I first decided to try making something new. I was surrounded by my usual chaos, a kitchen filled with the hum of activity, and a shelf stocked with essentials like flour, sugar, and an illogically high number of limes. My cousin had always been the adventurous one in the family, and her wedding seemed the perfect excuse to whip up something as vibrant as her spirit. As I creamed the butter and sugar, the air filled with that sweet, comforting aroma. I decided that a splash of lime juice and zest was just the twist needed to make the cookies sing. It felt like a small homage to the zest my cousin brought into our lives.
Rolling the zesty dough into logs, I chuckled at the memory of our childhood antics – perhaps more often rolling down grassy hills than cookie dough. The fridge chilled the logs into the perfect consistency, a tip I learned from a pastry chef friend who swore that patience was key to a good slice. Slicing into those dough logs was like slicing into a piece of nostalgia, each round promising a burst of citrus. The cookies baked to a golden perfection, and the smell filled the house. I tossed them in a dusting of powdered sugar, reminiscent of the playful snowfall that we forever wished for on Christmas mornings.
As the rain drizzled down that afternoon, I savored a warm meltaway, imagining my cousin’s reaction. Tradition was seasoned with just the right amount of playful modernity, much like the lime zest I'd never fail to grate into the batter.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup icing sugar/powdered sugar, divided
- zest of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and 1/3 cup of the icing sugar until fluffy.
- Add the lime zest, the lime juice, and the vanilla and beat until fluffy.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and the cornstarch.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until combined.
- Roll the dough into two (2-inch diameter) logs.
- Cover the dough logs with wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the dough into 1/8-inch-thick rounds.
- Place the cookies on baking sheets, about 1-inch apart.
- Bake the cookies until golden, about 15 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack.
- While still warm, toss the cookies with the remaining icing sugar.
- Serve.
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