Raspberry Melt-Aways

Oh. My. Word!

Have you ever tasted something so delicious that it made you say something like that - right out loud? That's exactly what this one said ..........

.......... when she took the first bite of these Raspberry Melt-Aways.

"This one" is Annie, one of our three sweet girls (granddaughters) who flew in from London last Friday. They're here with their mommy, daddy and baby brother for a summer visit . We couldn't wait for them to arrive and as you can see from the pictures below, they were super excited as they came running through the Customs & Immigration doors at the airport (so fast that Papa didn't even have time to focus his camera!).

We were able to spend the first week with them and had a wonderful time. One morning, I asked if anyone wanted to make cookies with me. There was a unanimous affirmation from the three girls, so I pulled out the mixer and started getting things together.

These Raspberry Melt-Aways are adapted from Land 'o Lakes, a super simple recipe, with just a few ingredients; butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, corn starch and flour. That's it, because they're so easy to put together, it's a great recipe to make with kids.

The topping on the Land 'o Lakes version of the cookies is peppermint, but we had a beautiful carton of fresh raspberries which I couldn't resist incorporating into our icing. We smashed and strained the berries, then combined the juice with powdered sugar for a gorgeous pink color and fabulous fresh raspberry flavor. A delicious topping for the melt-in-your-mouth cookies; making them quite irresistible!

While we were putting together the cookies, the girls decided it would be really fun to have a cookie sale. After the cookies were mixed up, rolled into little balls and carefully placed on sheet pans, they got busy making a sign. The kitchen was filled with a sweet, buttery aroma as they worked carefully with colorful markers and crayons.

They wanted to try to sell their baked goods to some of the neighbors nearby, so once the sign was completed, it was time to find some sort of "cookie wagon". I had to laugh when I saw their choice - Papa Scott's fertilizer spreader! They wrapped a box with cheerful paper to hold the cookies and a sheet pan to cover them up.

I was quite impressed when Annie asked for a kitchen tongs, so they could pick up the cookies without touching them. I have a feeling she's been to a few patisseries on the other side of the ocean!

The girls were so excited about the sale, I was secretly hoping they wouldn't be disappointed.

I soon realized I didn't have any need to be concerned, as I watched them sell cookie after cookie.

I guess not many people can resist three little cutie-pies ringing the bell and offering pretty pink cookies.

The girls were quite thrilled with their "loot", some really fun memories were created and; I'm not sure, but I think there might have been a few more "Oh. My. Word!" statements uttered that fine summer day around the neighborhood.

Try these Raspberry Melt-Aways , you'll see just what Annie meant!

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Raspberry Melt-Aways

Raspberry Melt-Aways - Melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies with a fabulous, fresh raspberry icing!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: cookie

Prep Time: 3 hrs 17 mins

Cook Time: 3 hrs 17 mins

Ingredients

• Ingredients for the cookies:
• 1 cup butter softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• Ingredients for the glaze:
• ½ cup fresh raspberries pack them in
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• decorative sprinkles nonpareils, if desired

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Beat butter until soft and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add flour and cornstarch; beat at low speed until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (If you leave it in the refrigerator longer, it will be too hard to scoop.)
3. Scoop up dough and roll between your palms into balls. (I use an ice cream scoop that holds 2 tablespoons, but you can make them any size you like.) Place 2 inches apart on prepared sheet pan. Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, combine raspberries and 1 tablespoon regular sugar. Mash berries with a fork and let sit for 15 minutes. (The sugar will help release the juice from the berries.) After 15 minutes, strain berries through a fine sieve, pushing on the solids with the back of a spoon until all of the juice is extracted. Discard the solids in the sieve. You will end up with about 3-4 tablespoons of strained juice.
5. Combine raspberry juice and powdered sugar in a medium-size bowl and whisk until smooth. Add enough milk to make icing consistency thin enough to drizzle, but not so thin that all of the icing drips off of the cookies. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with decorative sprinkles, if desired.