Glazed Meyer Lemon Almond Cookies

Christmas is over?! What!?  How? When?  What happened?!  The past several days are a blur.  It came fast and went fast and I don't feel like I've had one peaceful, restful moment!  Since the holidays did go so quickly, I didn't get half the baking done that I wanted....so I'm still at it!  But only until the end of the week...then those New Year's resolutions will be strictly enforced.  For at least 72 hours.

If you are ready to kick the New Year off with something a little different, then this is the cookie for you.  It's kinda like a shortbread cookie, with a kick of delicious lemon.  Meyer lemons really do live up to their hype.  This is my first time trying them, and I'm a fan.  However, I'm sure regular lemons would work in this, as would limes or oranges.  I'm pretty much loving all things citrus right now!

Aren't they pretty lemons?

 

and they give the glaze a nice little bite. 

and you can always add some bling for special occasions. (My daughter helped decorate!)

Glazed Meyer Lemon Almond Cookies from Small Kitchen College

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup almond meal (I ground almonds in my food processor until fine; but could use store bought too)1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons grated zest from 3-4 meyer lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract1/4 teaspoon salt

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons juice from 3-4 meyer lemons

In a large bowl, beat softened butter on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add ½ cup confectioners sugar, beat on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl and add vanilla and almond extracts. Mix on medium-high speed until incorporated.

Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, lemon zest and salt - mix on medium-low speed for another minute or so until it starts to come together.

Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll chilled dough (about a tablespoon) into balls and place about ½” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Pat down the tops a little (they don't really spread) and bake until golden brown on bottom, about 15-20 minutes. Cool cookies 20-30 minutes before glazing.

To make the glaze, mix sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl until smooth. Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze, and set aside on a wire rack to set, about 15 minutes.

I'm linking this recipe up at Joy in my Kitchen for Ingredient Spotlight: Citrus!