Brown Butter Lime Shortbread Cookies

LAST MINUTE COOKIE EXTRAVAGANZA!

Okay, not really and extravaganza — but I thought you should get pumped up! I made these cookies last week and have not gotten over the texture and the LIME that basically assaults your tastebuds. In a good way. Like a surprise bear-hug.

These cookies are totally something I'd made mid-summer, so definitely not a Christmas-exclusive, but a GREAT (EASY) way to spice up your traditional holiday cookie spread. I'm all about lime (and it IS winter...), and these aren't shy on lime. Zest + juice = FLAVOR PUNCH.

Last, but not least, I can't post a recipe for brown butter anything without gushing about brown butter. I mean seriously, have you made brown butter yet? IT IS SO DELICIOUS. The smell alone is worth browning butter! I'm thinking I should probably do a post on my favorite brown butter recipes... I'm accumulating quite a few!

These cookies are flecked with the brown butter, lime zest, and vanilla bean seeds! Yum! Roll this dough into a log, and if you're SUPER OCD you can fit that log into a paper-towel tube to hold a perfectly round shape. I wasn't that perfectionisty when I made these, so I just wrapped them in plastic wrap (which I found to work better than wax paper) and threw them in the freezer. Boom! Cookies.

Brown Butter Lime Shortbread Cookies

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: by Mary
• Prep Time: 4 hours
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 18 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• zest of two limes (at least 2 Tbsp)
• 1 vanilla bean, seeded (or ½ tsp ground vanilla bean)
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt

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Instructions

1. In a shallow pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir and swirl frequently as the butter pops and crackles. Once the crackling has subsided, stir continually and watch for browning. As soon as the solids have browned, and the butter smells nutty, remove from heat and pour into a separate container.
2. Refrigerate (or freeze) until solid. Before continuing, bring the butter back to room temperature (it should still be solid, but not rock hard).
3. Combine the butter (make sure to scrape all of the brown flecks in, too!), brown sugar, lime zest, and vanilla seeds in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix together until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg, mixing until fully incorporated.
5. Add the lime juice, again mixing until incorporated.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together, then add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
7. Divide the dough into two parts, and roll in plastic wrap to form logs. Freeze for 30 minutes.
8. When ready to bake, cut the dough into ⅜" thick slices, and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 F for 10-11 minutes. If the edges of your cookies are browning AT ALL, they are done.
9. Let cool on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

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