Lime Shortbread With Dried Cherries

A good week in real estate: 2 closings, 5 new leads, the satisfaction of matching families with houses the way Mama matches fillings with phyllo — instinctively, confidently. I brought spanakopita to an open house. The buyers ate it. They made an offer.

Mama called at 5:30 AM to tell me the tourists are back. She reported this with the urgency of a woman who considers every piece of information critical and every phone call an opportunity to also critique my cooking from forty miles away.

I stood in my kitchen this evening and looked at the counter where I have made a thousand meals for my family and thought: this is what I do. I feed people. I sell them houses and I feed them food and I keep showing up because showing up is the only recipe that never fails.

I made kourabiedes — butter cookies pressed with almonds, dusted in powdered sugar. They did not last the day. I served it with bread and olive oil — always too much olive oil, because in this family there is no such thing as too much. We ate and the conversation was easy and the evening was warm.

Sophia told me this week that she is proud of me. I was not expecting it. We were in the car, driving to Tarpon Springs for Sunday dinner, and she said Mom, I am proud of you. I said for what. She said for everything. For the bakery. For the houses. For making dinner every night even when you are tired. I gripped the steering wheel and blinked and said thank you, koritsi mou. She said do not cry. I did not cry. Much.

Kourabiedes did not last the day — they never do in this house — and when the powdered sugar had settled and the plate was empty, I still had energy left and cherries in the pantry and the kind of mood that calls for another batch of something buttery and a little bright. This lime shortbread with dried cherries is what I make when I want the spirit of a celebration cookie but with something tart underneath, something that keeps you honest. Sophia said I was proud of you, and I needed a recipe that felt like that — warm, a little unexpected, and worth every minute it took to make.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 18 min | Total Time: 38 min | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons fresh lime zest (from about 2 limes)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

Cream the butter. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the lime and vanilla. Mix in the lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla extract until fully combined. The mixture should smell bright and fragrant.
Incorporate the dry ingredients. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together — do not overmix. The dough will be soft but not sticky.
Fold in the cherries. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the chopped dried cherries into the dough until evenly distributed.
Chill the dough. Shape the dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days) until firm enough to slice cleanly.
Preheat and prepare. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice and bake. Slice the chilled log into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 16–18 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden and the centers look set. Do not overbake — shortbread should remain pale.
Cool and finish. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with additional powdered sugar before serving if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lime Shortbread With Dried Cherries — The Cookie That Carries the Day