Meltaways

These delightful little cookies always seem to be on Christmas platters, but I’m here to tell you that they’re great all year round. They are so easy to customize – you’ll be amazed at all the delicious ways you can make them. With their buttery melty texture, they are always a hit.

I’ve made these as lemon meltaways, adding a hit of a little lemon zest to the batter – which makes them fresh as a daisy for spring, bridal showers, baby showers and the like. They are fabulous with vanilla extract and then topped with a little fudgey frosting – yum! And at Christmas time I do them with peppermint extract and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes on top. They should be called multifaceted meltaways…they do it all!

Meltaways

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon extract (you can use peppermint, lemon, almond, vanilla or whatever else your heart desires)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch (not an error…yes, 1/2 cup)

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon extract (use same as above)

In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes until bottoms are lightly golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar, milk & extract; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes for peppermint meltaways if desired. Store in an airtight container.