Fruity Meltaways
Classic lime meltaways get their tender texture from the addition of cornstarch. Here, the cornstarch is swapped for your choice of freeze-dried fruit finely ground in a spice grinder or blender. This not only keeps the cookies delicate, but also adds a concentrated fruity punch. Any fruit will work, but choose a vibrant freeze-dried fruit, like cherries and blueberries, for a more brightly-colored cookie. Once formed into logs, the cookie dough will keep in the freezer for 3 months, helping you get ahead on your holiday baking. The freshly baked cookies are tossed in a combination of ground freeze-dried fruit and confectioners’ sugar for a pretty pastel finish.
- Total:
- Serves: 60 persons
Ingredients
- 12tablespoons/170 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½cup/62 grams confectioners’ sugar
- ¼teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 1tablespoon lemon juice
- 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3tablespoons/20 grams finely ground freeze-dried fruit, such as cherries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches or mangoes
- 1 ¾cups/224 grams all-purpose flour
- ¾cup/93 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 3tablespoons/20 grams finely ground freeze-dried fruit
Instructions
Step 1
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.Step 2
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.Step 3
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.Step 4
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.Step 5
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.