Lemonade meltaway cookies (recipe).

When I saw the Itty Bitty Kitchen's recipe for Lemon Melting Moments, I knew I was going to have to try them.  Nothing says summer to me quite like a big, cold glass of lemonade, and the idea of putting that flavor in a cookie is fantastic.

I didn't do much to change the recipe, but instead of making sandwiches I made frosted cookies. I figure this way I get to eat twice as many ;) Right? The cookies themselves are very tasty, but the real star is the frosting. I think I could happily just eat a bowl of this lemon frosting with a spoon.



Lemonade Meltaways
makes about 18 cookies; adapted from Itty Bitty Kitchen

Ingredients
For the cookies:
14 tbs butter, softened
lemon zest from 1 lemon*
1/4 ts salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1.5 cups AP flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
yellow sanding sugar (optional)

For the frosting:
juice of 1 lemon
3.5 tbs butter, softened
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar (depending on how juicy the lemon is, & desired thickness of frosting)

Instructions
For the cookies:
1) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees f. Cream together the butter, salt, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes.

2) Mix in the lemon zest. Sift in the flour and corn starch. Blend on low, just until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

3) Roll into 1 tablespoon sized balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press the balls down with a fork, and sprinkle yellow sanding sugar on top (if you want).

4) Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from tray, and let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
1) Blend together lemon juice, butter, and 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

2) Dip bottom (flat side) of the cooled cookies into the frosting. Twist the cookie as you lift it out of the frosting to give it a little swirl.

* When you zest the lemon, be very careful to not go too deep. You only want the yellow part. The white pith underneath the lemon skin is bitter, and will make your cookies bitter.

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