Lime Shortbread Cookies With Dried Cherries Recipes

Steps:

• For the Cookies:
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in the egg. Add the flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dried cherries and almonds.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance).
• Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Transfer the dough slices to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges and puffed, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes.
• For the Icing:
• Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the vanilla extract and water, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture becomes a drizzling consistency. (Makes about 2/3 cups icing, enough to ice both variations.)
• Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 1 hour.
• Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.
• Cook's Note Alternative:
• Replace the dried cherries with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots and add 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts. Also, use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and omit the almond extract.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the limes. (You can usually get 1 teaspoon from 1 lime, but you may need to grate some zest off the other.) Add to a food processor.
• Add flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt and pulse once or twice to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess the dough. It should be somewhat crumbly and not form a ball. (Alternatively, you can mix this in a bowl using two knives, or use a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the flour.)
• Press the dough into an even layer in an ungreased, fluted 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or in a 9-inch pie pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 40 to 50 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Using a butter knife, cut the shortbread into 12 wedges while still warm.
• Make the glaze: Halve the zested lime and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice into a small bowl. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and, if you like, more lime juice to taste. (More lime juice will make the glaze thinner and more tart, while less lime juice yields a thicker, sweeter glaze.) Drizzle glaze over the cooled shortbread, then zest the second lime over the icing before it sets. (Use a citrus zester, if you have one, or a regular zester, if you don't.)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioner's sugar until blended. Beat in lime peel and extracts. mix dried ingredients; gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in cherries. Divide dough in half and shape into 7" logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3-4 hours. Unwrap and cut dough into 1/4" slices. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 9-11 min. or until egdes are golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in lime peel and extracts. In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
• 2. Stir in Cherries. Divide dough in half and shape each into long roll logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or until firm.
• 3. Unwrap and cut dough into 1/4 inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Remove pans and let cool slightly before removing.

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts and orange zest. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the cranberries; mixing just enough to evenly combine.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, then roll into logs about 7 inches long. Wrap each log in wax paper or plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove wax paper, and cut the cookie dough into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm but not browned, about 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Using a food processor, mix the flour, butter, sugar and salt for 20 seconds.
• Add the cherries and pulse until chopped (about 20 seconds).
• Turn out the mixture onto a work surface and gather into a smooth, compact ball.
• On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into a 7 by 9 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut into 12 rectangles. Prick each cookie 3 times with a fork.
• Using a metal spatula, place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Bake until light golden brown (30 minutes).
• Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely and sprinkle with sugar.