As I just did a bit more clean up post Christmas and nibbled on more leftover cookies than I’d like to admit, I’m back at catching up with recipes on the blog.  I’ll add one more cookie recipe before I begin to filter in more savory options into the New Year.  January is not the best month to start baking cookies as most of us are trying to reduce our calorie intake – especially sugar.  I do enjoy the leftover holiday cookies with a cup of tea in the afternoon.  Lemon Meltaways are a cookie I have made every year since around 1998 at Christmas time.  They are a relatively easy cookie to make- a slice and bake type with a fluffy, buttery frosting on top.  They are small and can easily be frozen for up to a few months without losing quality.

dough in the process of mixing. Butter and sugar is well creamed and flour, cornstarch and lemon added.

The dough contains cornstarch and very little sugar.  When baked, the cookies are crispy and buttery. The frosting is lemony and just sweet enough to copliment the cookie.  Together they are a perfect remedy for a sweet craving.

As with other cookie recipes, it’s best to make the dough  a day ahead so the butter can solidify and chill.  They slice very easily and bake up quickly.  They are not too delicate either.  Once the frosting sets and gets cold, they are easy to stack into a cookie tin.  I typically layer waxed paper or saran wrap between eacy layer to avoid any possible frosting sticking together.  It is best to keep them frozen if baking ahead. We had warmer than usual weather in December and these cookies stayed fresh and delicious in tins on my back porch that is usually like a freezer – but was barely like a refrigerator for part of the month!

“logs” of dough being rolled and ready to be chilled overnight.

frosted cookies waiting for the frosting to set or harden before placing into a well sealed cookie tin

Lemon Meltaways

Prep time 10 minutes
Chill time for dough - at least 2 hours.

Baking time 8 to 12 minutes.

yield about 64 cookies

Ingredients

Cookie Dough:

1  1/4 c flour

3/4 c butter, room temperature

1/2 c cornstarch

1/3 c powdered sugar

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

 

Frosting:

3/4 c powdered sugar

1/4 c butter softened

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

 

Instructions

Combine all cookie ingredients in mixer bowl.  Beat at low spead, scraping until well mixed.

Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into a 8″ x 1″ log.  Wrap each log in plastic wrap sealing it well.  Refrigerate 2 hours until firm.

Preheat oven to 350′

Cut each logn into 1/4″ slices with sharp knife.  Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 – 12 minutes or until set.  Cookies will not brown.

Cool completely

Combine all frosting ingredients into small bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often. Frost cooled cookies.

 

Notes

Be sure butter is soft, at room temperature so that the dough combines well.  Dough can be made several days in advance – even frozen before baking.  Sometimes there is a “hole” in the middle of the dough log.  Individual rounds can be pinched together – or the hole will fill in when it bakes.

The frosting will set and become hard enough to layer these cookies in a tin with waxed paper between layers.  They can be frozen for up to a month without losing flavor quality.

This recipe was clipped from a magazine around 1998.  It was published by Land O’Lakes in 1997.