Summer Citrus Butter Cookies

Monday, July 13, 2015

Refreshing, fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth are just a few words that come to mind when describing these summer citrus butter cookies. Fresh zest and juice from lemons and limes along with butter...lots of butter make for one amazingly light summer treat!


Summer Citrus Butter Cookies
{yield: 20 cookies}

Cookie dough:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
Splash of vanilla extract
Zest from ½ a lemon and ½ a lime
Juice from ½ a lemon and ½ a lime

Icing:
1-½ cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. milk
Zest from ½ a lemon and ½ a lime
Juice from ½ a lemon and ½ a lime

Before you get started, preheat the over to 350 degrees. Then in a standing mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk and splash of vanilla extract and beat until combined.


Carefully add the flour, zest and juice from half a lemon and half of a lime, mixing until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a cookie scoop, scoop and roll dough into balls and place on a non-greased cookie sheet.


Bake cookies for 13 minutes and then remove from the oven.  Allow the cookies to cool for 3 to 4 minutes on the baking sheet before removing and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once the cookies are completely cool, its time to making the icing. In a small bowl, combine powered sugar, milk, and the zest and juice of half a lemon and half a lime. Using a rubber spatula, mix together until the consistency is thick enough to make a nice drizzle (you may have to add more powered sugar or milk to get the desired consistency).


Zigzag the icing over the cookies one direction and then the other direction to ensure that most of the cookies is covered. I love how the icing drizzle looks with the little specks of lemon and lime zest - just screams summer! Allow the icing to set up for a couple of hours before serving or packing away.



The burst of fresh citrus in every bite make these cookies the perfect treat to enjoy at a summer picnic or by the pool soaking up some rays!


Adapted from The Pioneer Women.

Friday Favorites | No. 23

Friday, July 10, 2015

Woo hoo, it's Friday all! After such a fun holiday weekend, it was a little challenging to get back into the swing of things. But overall it was a great week, so lets take a look back at some of my favorite moments.

I spent the holiday weekend at my dad's ranch and always have such a fun time when I am up there visiting. Fourth of July was spent in town watching the annual parade and enjoying a hot dog in the park afterwards. The town is iconic "small town America" and is such a fun place to celebrate America's birthday day!




Froyo Wednesday's are something I look forward to every week! It is just a nice time to catch up with friends and enjoy the beautiful Southern California summer weather.


I was able to get back in the kitchen and bake after a few weeks away because I was traveling for work and vacation. Blueberries are my favorite summer fruit (if you couldn't tell by all the blueberry recipes on the blog recently) the mini blueberry crostata I whipped up was perfection!


What were some of your favorite moments from this week?

Mini Blueberry Crostata

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Summer desserts should be all about simplicity in my book and there is nothing simpler than making a summer fruit crostata.


A crostata is an Italian free-form tart that can be either sweet or savory. It is the perfect dessert to make if you are in the mood for pie, but don't want to go through the hassle of making a whole one! With the abundance of fresh summer fruit in the grocery stores, I decided it was time to make a crostata, but a mini version. So by using a ready-made pie crust and fresh summer berries, I created a beautifully rustic and simple dessert for two.


Mini Blueberry Crostata
{yield: 2-4 servings}

1 ready-made pie crust, cut down to an 8 ½ inch circle
6 oz. fresh blueberries
3 tsp. granulated sugar
3 tsp. flour 
zest from half a lemon
juice from half a lemon

Start by preheating your over to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll the ready-made pie crust and cut a circle that measures 8 ½ inches and place on the parchment sheet. Then in medium bowl, add the fresh blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice and mix together.


Spoon the berries on top of the dough leaving roughly a 2 inch edge. Then fold and crimp the edge up and around the berries. Use a pastry brush and lightly brush the outside with water and sprinkle with sugar.


Place the crostata in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. Serve just as or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Easy Fourth of July Desserts

Friday, July 3, 2015

Hi all! Wow, it sure has been awhile since I have been able to blog, but with a massive cold, traveling for work and some vacation, time just slipped away and here we are in July already.

Since I have been away the past couple of week (which I sincerely apologize for!) I just pulled together some of my favorite dessert recipes that would be a perfect ending to any Fourth of July BBQ or party!

Hot summer days call for chilled desserts and my Lemon Margarita Pie packs a punch and is oh-so refreshing.


If you are trying to keep dessert super simple, just grab a few cartons of vanilla ice cream and make my Homemade Blueberry Syrup. Pour the syrup over scoops of ice cream and boom! dessert is served.


Dessert on the go? Try my Individual Banana Caramel Cream Pies served in small mason jars. They allow your guest to grab and go watch the fireworks!


Give my Lemon-Blueberry Crumb Bars a try if you are inviting a large crowd over. This dessert is great because you can control how big or small you want the size of the bars to be!


What are some of your favorite desserts to share with your guest when entertaining on the Fourth of July?  Have a happy and safe day tomorrow!
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