Lemon Meltaways

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Makes

about 5 dozen

Updated: Aug. 25, 2023
Both the cookie and the frosting are spiked with lemon in these melt-in-your-mouth goodies. Your family won't be able to get enough of this lemon butter meltaway cookie recipe. —Mary Houchin, Lebanon, Illinois

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • FROSTING:
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 to 3 drops yellow food coloring, optional

Directions

  1. In a bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch; gradually beat into butter mixture. Divide dough in half; shape each into an 8-in.-long roll. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  3. Bake 8-12 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
  4. For frosting, in a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in lemon zest, lemon juice and, if desired, food coloring. Spread over cookies.

Test Kitchen Tips
  • Cornstarch needs just a few minutes of boiling to thicken a sauce, gravy or dessert filling. If it cooks too long, the cornstarch will begin to lose its thickening power. Carefully follow the recipe for the best results.
  • Go for freshly squeezed lemon juice when preparing this summery sipper. Bottled lemon juice, which is from concentrate, won’t provide the same bright, fresh flavor.
  • Check out 55 of our most impressive cookie recipes.
  • Nutrition Facts

    1 cookie: 49 calories, 3g fat (2g saturated fat), 8mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.