Lime Meltaways

Yes. As I work on my Christmas cookies, I'm hitting another Martha Stewart recipe from her Holiday Cookies book. The great thing about icebox cookies is that you can do a bunch of dough in advance and then bake everything fresh prior to delivery.

The only things I did different was double the recipe (there were a bunch weird measurements like 1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons -- which I hate) and used 3 instead of 4 limes (because I accidentally bought 6 instead of 8).

Surprisingly, even though these cookies are coated in sugar, they're not overly sweet. Then again, my sweet tooth can make me a bad judge on sweet.

BTW, this is another treat for your vegetarian friends who don't eat eggs.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
-- 2/3 cup for dough and the rest for coating cookies
3 limes -- zest and 1/4 cup juice
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt

about 5 or 6 dozen

Directions

With a mixer, whisk the butter and 2/3 cups powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the zest, juice and vanilla and continue to whisk.

In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, and salt.

Back at the mixer, if the option's available, swap out the whisk for the standard mixing blade.

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients -- mixing with each addition and stopping once it all becomes combined.

Wipe your work surface with a damp cloth then lay down a rectangle of plastic/cling wrap. The moisture will make the plastic stick to the table and not the dough as we work with it.

Place a quarter of the dough on the plastic wrap and roll into a tube that's 1-1/4 inches in diameter.

Then roll the plastic wrap around the tube and knot the ends closed. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.

Refrigerate the logs for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350º.

Remove plastic wrap and cut 1/4 inch slices from the tube. Place each round on a parchment (or silicon mat) lined cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for about 13 minutes or until they're slightly golden.

Cool on wire rack for 8-10 minutes.

Place powdered sugar in a bag or lidded plastic container.

Place a cookie or two at a time in the sugar and shake to coat.

Place on wire rack to cool completely.

a couple hours