Citrus Butter Cookies

This week's new recipe was inspired by a recipe Ashlea shared on Facebook this week.  She baked Lime Butter Cookies (linked) and said that, besides being amazing, the recipe is ridiculously simple.  Ashlea is a recipe tamperer, so she added a little ginger and almond extract flavoring.  Almond extract is always good in my book!

I could have made that recipe, but I remembered that Pioneer Woman has a recipe for Citrus Butter Cookies in her new cookbook.  This recipe contains zest and juice from oranges, lemons, and limes. . .not JUST limes as in Ashlea's recipe. . .providing enhanced citrus flavor. 

Not that there's any competition between us or anything. ;)

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
4 sticks, (1 pound) salted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons orange, lemon, and lime zest (1 T. each)
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons orange, lemon, and/or lime juice (2 T. total)


Icing:


3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons combined orange, lemon, and lime zest
juice of 1/2 lime
juice of 1/2 lemon
dash of salt
extra zest for decorating 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Separate the eggs.  Set aside one of the egg whites for the icing.  Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until combined.  Add the egg yolks and mix until combined.  Add the 3 tablespoons of citrus zest.
Then add the flour and mix until just combined.  Next, add the 2 tablespoons of citrus juice (your choice) and mix the dough until it comes together.  Scoop out heaping teaspoons of dough, then roll them into balls between your hands.  Place them on a cookie sheet.  Bake them for 12 to 13 minutes, or until they're not quite starting to turn brown.  Remove them from the oven but keep them on the cookie sheet for 3 to 4 minutes.  Use a spatula to move them to a cooking rack and cool them completely.


To make the icing, combine 1 egg white with the rest of the icing ingredients (except the extra zest for sprinkling).  Whisk thoroughly until combined, add either more powdered sugar or more juice until it reaches a pourable but still thick consistency.  Drizzle the icing across the cookies in several lines, then repeat in the other direction.  Sprinkle them with extra zest before the icing sets.  Yield:  About 4 dozen 2 inch cookies. 


Note:  The icing recipe made more than I needed for criss-cross drizzling, therefore I frosted the cookies.  Why drizzle when you can slather?  :)