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My Lemon Meltaways are a go-to cookie recipe for any time of the year. Meltingly soft and tender, you can switch them up with any flavor citrus you like best! They’re a great make-ahead cookie recipe, too!
If you’re looking for cookies that melt into your mouth so quickly that they hardly even need to be chewed, you’ve come to the right place. If that sounds weird to you, then I just don’t think you’ve ever had a proper meltaway cookie.
I can explain if you’re new to this type of crumbly, soft melty little cookie. When cookies melt on your tongue, the dough almost has a cooling sensation. It makes you want to quickly add another one to your mouth. And another one.
The secret is the powdered sugar, which contains cornstarch! I’m also adding an additional four teaspoons of cornstarch to make these lemon meltways extra soft and extra melty! So no, you may not substitute cornstarch for anything else here because it’s a critical ingredient.
This recipe makes 24 small cookies that are on the thicker side. Each dough log is cut into 12 equal-sized slices, and yes, it might seem too thick at first. But trust me on the thickness to powdered sugar coating ratio.
Lemon Meltaways Ingredients
- Butter. One stick (4 ounces/ 113 grams) of unsalted butter that has been softened to room temperature for about 30 minutes. The butter should be easy to press into, but not overly melted or soft.
- Powdered Sugar. One-quarter cup plus two teaspoons of powdered sugar for the actual cookie dough. We’ll need an additional 1/2 cup for rolling the cookies in after they’re done baking.
- Lemon. In general, I believe any citrus dessert needs zest and juice to be fragrant. There are times when I only call for the zest, because it’s the most flavorful part. For these lemon meltaways, we need the zest of 2 whole lemons plus 4 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice.
- Vanilla. Two teaspoons of vanilla sounds like a lot, but the reason my citrus desserts are so good is because of the delicate balance between citrus and vanilla. They compliment each other so well, and if you’ve made my Yogurt Cake, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
- Flour. One and a quarter cups of all-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch. Four teaspoons of cornstarch (also called cornflour across the pond)
- Salt. Two big pinches of salt.
How to Make Meltaways
Combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Evenly sprinkle the flour, cornstarch and salt on top. Beat just to combine.
The dough will be a bit clumpy, but if you squeeze it in your hands, it will come together.
Divide the dough in half, and roll it into 12-inch logs. Refrigerate for one hour, minimum.
After the chill time of one hour, preheat the oven to 350. Slice the dough into 1-inch slices.
Evenly space on the baking sheet (these cookies will not spread), and bake for 12-14 minutes, until they appear dry. Let cool for 5 minutes, and then roll each warm cookie in the extra powdered sugar.
Variations
- Citrus – You can absolutely vary the type of citrus you use in this recipe. Lime, grapefruit, pomelo, and even regular navel orange are all great here. You need 2 teaspoons of zest, no matter which type of fruit you use.
- Make-Ahead Options – You can make these lemon meltaways up to 3 days ahead of time and store the dough in the fridge until you’re ready to slice and bake.
- Freezing – You may freeze the dough log for up to 6 months, if you tightly wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer storage bag. Defrost the dough at room temperature (until it’s easy enough to slice). This dough requires one hour of chill time before slicing anyway, so cold dough is fine!
Lemon Meltaways
This lemon meltaways cookie recipe is easy, delicious, and can be made ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 ounces; 113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- zest of 2 lemon
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- For rolling: 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons powdered sugar. Once well combined, add the lemon zest, juice and vanilla. Beat well.
- Next, sprinkle the flour, cornstarch and salt over the top. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet mixture carefully on low speed. The dough will be slightly crumbly.
- Next, divide the dough in half, and dump each half out onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Shape each into a uniform log about 12" long. Then, put the dough closest to the long end of the paper, then begin rolling it up in the paper, shaping the dough as you go. Twist the ends of the paper closed and refrigerate the dough logs for 1 hour.
- After the one hour of chill time is over, preheat the oven to the 350.
- Unroll each dough log, slice it into 12 even slices then place the cookies on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies barely begin to turn golden and appear dry to the touch. You won't see much color change, so look closely.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, have ready a shallow bowl with the extra powdered sugar for rolling. Roll each cookie in powdered sugar while still warm, and let the cookies cool before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 67Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
Love your recipes! Thanks for doing all the work!
Wish we had gram measurements for the flour and sugar!