Fruity Meltaways Recipes

LEMON MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together 3/4 cup butter and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Combine the flour and corn starch, and blend into the lemon mixture to form a soft dough. Divide dough in half, roll each half into a log about 8 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut each roll into 1/4 inch slices and place onto the cookie sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until set. Cool completely before frosting.
• In a small bowl, blend together 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest with an electric mixer until smooth. Frost cookies and allow to dry before serving or storing.

FRUITY MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a stiff spatula, mix butter, confectioners' sugar, salt, lemon juice and vanilla until creamy and combined. Add ground freeze-dried fruit and mix until distributed. Add flour, and mix until it all comes together into a soft dough.
• Divide the dough into two (250-gram) portions. On pieces of parchment paper, wax paper or plastic wrap, roll each portion of dough into a 10-inch-long log. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or up to 3 months tightly wrapped in the freezer.
• Set oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper.
• Using a sharp knife, trim about ⅛-inch off each side of the chilled dough logs, just so that you have flat ends. Slice the logs into scant ¼-inch-thick cookies. Roll the log a quarter turn after each slice to keep it round. (If the dough cracks while slicing, let it warm up at room temperature for 10 minutes.) Arrange on sheet trays ½-inch apart and bake, rotating the trays once during baking, until set and barely golden underneath, 10 to 12 minutes.
• While the cookies bake, make the sugar coating: Sift together the powdered sugar with the ground freeze-dried fruit. While still warm, gently toss the cookies in the powdered sugar mixture and return to the sheet tray to fully cool. The cookies will keep for 2 weeks stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

LEMON MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• In large bowl, beat softened butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the lemon zest with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Stir in flour until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 36 (1 1/4-inch) balls. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets; flatten each ball to 1 1/2-inch circle (cookie does not spread).
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are set but not brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. In small bowl, place 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Roll each warm cookie in powdered sugar, and place on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Roll cookies again in powdered sugar to coat.
• In small bowl, beat 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice with spoon until smooth. If too stiff to drizzle, add additional lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. Spoon into resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut small tip from corner of bag; pipe over tops of cookies. Let stand about 1 hour or until icing is set. Store covered in airtight container.

LEMON MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• Add butter, 1 1/4 cups/154 grams confectioners' sugar, and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sugar is moistened, then turn the mixer to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the lemon juice and egg yolk. Mix to combine.
• Reduce the speed to low, add the flour, cornstarch and salt, and mix until just combined.
• Divide the dough into 2 pieces and set each piece on a length of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Fold the paper over the sticky dough, and use your hands to form it into a cylinder about 1 1/2 inches wide. Roll the cylinder a few times to help shape it, but don't worry if it isn't perfect. Chill the dough until completely firm, at least 2 hours.
• When you are ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Slice the dough into rounds just under 1/4-inch thick and arrange them at least 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12 to 17 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway though. The cookies should be golden around the edges, but not brown all of the way through.
• Set the pans on cooling racks and cool for a few minutes. Dust both sides of the warm cookies with the remaining 3/4 cup/92 grams confectioners' sugar. Let the cookies cool completely, then store at room temperature in an airtight container. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar just before serving, if desired.