Meltaway cookies have always been a favorite holiday cookie for me. My mom always made Classic Meltaway Cookies at Christmas time. I still feel nostalgic every time I eat them. These Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookies are almost identical cookies, but with a delicious sweet and tart lemon frosting on top. A perfect combination for any lemon lover.
If you’ve never had a meltaway cookie, you’re missing out. The butter and cornstarch in the recipe literally make it feel like the cookie is melting away in your mouth. It’s a unique, slightly shortbread-like flavor you just don’t find in any other cookie.
The cookie ingredients are short and sweet and most likely in your pantry–flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and butter. As you can see, this recipe doesn’t have eggs or any kind of leavening agent. You can whip up a batch of these in no time.
Lemon Recipes You’ll Love
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Strawberry Lemonade Pie
- Dreamy Lemon Cookies
- Best Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
- Tart Lemon Bars
- Fresh Raspberry Lemon Tart Bars
how to make frosted lemon meltaway cookies
Tips for making Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookies
- Use fresh lemons. Do not use bottled lemon juice.
- Take the zest off the lemon before squeezing the juice out. If you do not have a zester, the small grate on a cheese grater is a good alternative.
- To make cookies uniform in shape, use a cookie scoop. I use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, but I like to make meltaway cookies extra small. After I scoop out the dough, I break them into two separate pieces and roll each of them separately to get two cookie balls out of one scoop.
- Handle these warm cookies cautiously because they are a meltaway, they are more fragile than a typical cookie.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
- Store in an airtight container with wax paper dividing the layers of cookies.
baker’s tools:
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Citrus Juicer
- Zester
- Cookie Scoops
- Cookie Sheets
- Cooling Racks
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookies
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Little delicious butter cookies that melt in your mouth with a sweet and tart lemon frosting on top that complements them perfectly.
Author: Recipe from my sister-in-law, Becky
Serves: 3 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup cornstarch
- FROSTING
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and flour.
- Stir in cornstarch and powdered sugar.
- Roll dough into small balls and place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. *If using a cookie scoop, see tips above.
- Bake cookies at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cookies will be barely browning around the bottom edge.
- Let cool before frosting.
- FROSTING:
- In a small mixing bowl cream together the softened butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar. Mix until fully combined.
- If frosting seems too thick, add a teaspoon or two of milk.
- Frost the cookies and store in an airtight container, using wax paper to separate layers.
Easy Dinners Your Family Will Love
So good We loved them and will make again
Yay! I love hearing this Shirley!
Sound wonderful…can you freeze them frosted?
Hi, Michele. Yes, you can. Make sure the frosting is completely dry before freezing them. To preserve the texture and flavor of meltaway cookies when freezing them, make sure they are completely cooled before prepping them to be frozen. Wrap the cooled cookies tightly in plastic wrap, which will help the cookies from becoming soggy when thawed. Then place the cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock freezer bag, making sure to press out as much air as you can. To thaw the cookies, remove from the freezer, unwrap them, and place them on a cooling rack for 30 minutes to an hour.