Key Lime Meltaways

You can make these with regular limes as well, but if you run into some key limes, they’re worth it. The recipe yields about 5 dozen cookies but you don't have to cook them all at once. You can keep the logs of uncooked dough frozen for up to two months, and use them as the meltaway craving hits.

Yield:

5 dozen

Ingredients

1. 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2. 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3. Grated zest of 4 tiny or 2 large key limes
4. 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
5. 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
6. 1 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (2 cups minus 2 tablespoons)
7. 2 tablespoons cornstarch
8. 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Add lime zest, juice, and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and beat on low speed until combined.
3. Between two 8-by-12-inch pieces of parchment paper, roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Chill at least 1 hour.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Place remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Remove parchment from logs; slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.
5. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly, just three or four minutes. While still warm, place cookies in the sugar-filled bag; toss to coat. Bake or freeze remaining dough. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes