Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Meyer Lemon Shortbread Squares and Christmas Tree Shop Finds



 
 
Dear Readers, pardon my absence from the blogging world.  For the past few weeks life just got the better of me.  Today I am sharing another shortbread recipe that  I made using some Meyer Lemons that needed to be used.  They are sweet little melt-a-way cookies.
 
I am also joing in Kathleen's party, Let's Dish, where you are invited to share your dish finds and tablescapes that you put together.  Before I share the recipe, I want to share some of my finds from a Christmas Tree Shop store in Virginia.  These little footed bowls went for twenty-nine cents.  I was able to buy six of them.
 
 
 
These little napkin rings sold for a quarter, and I picked up 12 of them.  I thought they would be perfect on a Santa table at Christmas as, to me, they look like Santa's belt.
 
 
 
 
Now to get back to the shortbread squares....
 
 
You can use Meyer Lemons if you have them; they have a short growing season, or just normal lemons.
 
 
I  used these cookie cutters; they are from World Market
 
 
Recipe for Meyer Lemon Shortbread Squares
 
 1 cup butter, no substitutes
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon zest
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2-1/4 cups flour
Powdered sugar for dusting
 
 
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In medium mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice and the lemon zest.  On low speed, gradually beat in the flour, beginning with 2 cups of flour, and adding more flour, if necessary. The dough should be able to be rolled out. Roll out cookies to about 1/3 inch and cut with a cookie cutter. I used a small square-shaped cutter. Bake at 325 for about 9 - 10 minutes. Let cookies sit on baking sheet a few minutes, and then remove and cool on rack.  Note:  If you want a really moist shortbread, which I like, under bake a little and allow to sit on baking sheet for about 30 minutes after you take it out of the oven.  The cookies will be fragile, but oh so moist and melt in your mouth!  The baking times will vary with the size and thickness of your cookie.  Yield 36 small cookies.
 
 
Just dusted cookies.
 
 
Please take one before you leave.
 
 
 
Just a bit on the home front.  This is our friend Danielle or "Wookie," as she is affectionately known as.   She came over for dinner on Valentine's Day.  We served asparagus with a little bit of butter.  Weirdly, all the butter on the  asparagus somehow got shaped into a heart shape!  She asked me if I shaped it, and I said "No, but it looks like a good sign for 2013!"  She is single and such a beautiful person inside and out.
 
 
 
 
Thanks for dropping by my couch!! 

19 comments:

Barbara F. said...

Cookies look very yummy. I love little "signs", too! I noticed you went to CTS in Virginia....did you move? xo

Velva said...

The shortbreads are delightful! Thanks for sharing them with us.

Velva

P.S. great deal on the napkin rings

Kathleen said...

So did you have fun at CTS? You never know what you will find, and you found some goodies! I would have bought both too!
The cookies look heavenly!
Thanks so much for joining in at Let's Dish, Joni, good to have you back, and good things for you coming up, I pray!

Sarah said...

Joni, I've missed you, but happy to know you've been in Virginia with your husband. The CTS finds are awesome. Love the footed bowls. As for the Meyer Lemon bars...........yum!

Marlis said...

Joni, the shortbread looks wonderful.. you had me at lemon!! I love your new finds. Lucky you. And yes the napkin rings look like santa's belt.. xo marlis

Leslie said...

Oh my, those cookies look wonderful!! I really want to make this recipe!!! We love both shortbread and lemon desserts.
Blessings,
Leslie

Bonnie said...

I love shortbread! I've never had lemon before. I'm going to try this one. You really did well with your finds at the Christmas store. Good to have you back.

Lynn said...

The cookies sound great Joni and I love your pretty new dishes-enjoy:@)

Debbie said...

The shortbread cookies look divine, and I love the new napkins rings. I just saw on a another blog how to make napkin rings out of belts. I hadn't thought about using them at Christmas at the time, but after what you said about Santa's belt, I think they would.

And I love the heart butter. I think maybe it's a sign that your beautiful, single, friend might have a little romanance adventure around the corner.

Sorry. I'm a chronic, unrepentant, romantic. My mind always goes there

I've been absent a lot too.

What is the status with your Virginia move? Did you move, and I have missed it completely? Please forgive me if so.

Tricia said...

Joni, your lemon shortbread sounds divine! I love Meyer lemons AND shortbread, so will definitely give this one a try! What a deal you got on the little dishes and napkin rings!

Lisa said...

These look amazing - I love anything lemon! And aren't the square cookie cutters the best?
xo,
Lisa

Diane said...

Yum - these look amazing! Lemon is such a nice change from chocolate (my weakness). Will have to try these!

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

I STALK our CTS but never seem to find bargains like this!!! LOVE the footed bowls. Thanks so much for the shortbread recipe. And, welcome back! XO, Pinky

Sue said...

I bet those bars are "melt-in-your-mouth" GOOD! Leave it to you to see Santa's belt in the napkin rings...how cute that will be:)

Sue said...

Sometimes life does come first, I hope you have just been busy...and nothing is wrong. You post a combination of two of my favorite things today...shortbread and lemon, yum. I've already saved the recipe!

Love how the butter turned out...keep us posted if she finds a new love...maybe you can "read butter" instead of tea leaves!

Marigene said...

Yummy looking cookies...great buys, too!

Alycia Nichols said...

No, no, no! Do NOT show me your great bargains from CTS!!!!!!! I am just SO jealous!!! Why, oh why can't we get a CTS here in the Kansas City area??!?! Boo hoo hoo!!! :-) OK...finished with my tantrum. Your shortbread turned out great!!! I love lemon cookies, and I'll bet these have just the right amount of "twang" to them balanced with sweetness. Wild about the butter...spooky! :-)

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Joni, you had me at lemon! The cookies sound wonderful, and I love your pretty new dishes. Great price! I look forward to your post using the napkin rings. Maybe you can figure out how to make the napkins look like Santa.

Engageya