Recipe: Citrus Trio Butter Dipping Cookies (Melissa d'Arabian recipe)

CITRUS TRIO BUTTER DIPPING COOKIES

"Enjoy these cookies inspired by delicious langues-de-chat, delicate French tea cookies. I love these with coffee, tea, or even with rich hot chocolate - perfect for dipping as you sip! Or, you could even dip the cookies into melted chocolate or caramel."

1 cup unsalted butter, cool but not straight from the fridge
4 ounces cream cheese, cool but not straight from the fridge
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Dash salt
Finely grated zest from 1 lime*
Finely grated zest from 1 orange*
Finley grates zest from 1emon*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. On the lowest speed, gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, just until blended.

Divide the batter into 3 bowls, and gently stir in the different zests among the bowls, making 3 citrus flavored batters.

Scrape each batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip, or a sturdy plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe 2-inch long strips, about 2 inches apart, on a cold unlined baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with the other batches. Remove from the oven, and let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing with a spatula to cool completely on baking rack.

Serve with tea or coffee, or just nibble...addictive!

*To butter cookie purists: these are also delicious without the zest!

Makes approximately 60 cookies
Source: Melissa d'Arabian, Food TV Network