Lime Cornmeal Cookies

This probably won't come as a surprise, but I bake a lot of cookies. Also, I eat a lot of cookies because, let's face it, cookies are awesome. However while reading Book Lovers by Emily Henry I encountered a cookie I'd never tasted. Lime Cornmeal Cookies were a family recipe sisters shared. I went through every cookbook I had and I didn't find a recipe for this mystery treat. I came across one from Martha Stewart, but the reviews left me wanting more. So, of course, I headed to the kitchen and got to baking. Here's the perfect summer cookie. It's not too sweet, has a bit of zest, and an outer crust that hides a perfectly soft center. In love with the book. In love with the cookies. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup butter (room temperature)

1 Cup sugar

1 egg

4 teaspoons lime zest

2 Tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons orange zest (Navel oranges)

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 Cups flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal (fine ground)

1/2 Cup Turbinado sugar for coating

DIRECTIONS:

1-Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a mixer with a paddle attachment, 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg; beat until just blended. Add citrus zests, lime juice, and almond extract.

2- With the mixer on low speed, add flour and cornmeal. Continue beating until well blended. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

3- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a small bowl with cornmeal. Form balls from chilled dough and roll each ball in Turbinado sugar.

4-  Place balls on prepared sheets, spaced about 3 inches apart. Dip bottom of a medium drinking glass into cornmeal. Flatten balls with the bottom of glass or flat spatula until dough is about 1/4 inch thick.  

5 - Bake cookies until crisp and light-golden brown around the edges, 12 to 13minutes. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack, and let the cookies cool completely.

Mix juice from navel orange with 1/2 Cup Confectioners sugar. When cookies have cooled, they can be glazed.