lime flowers

Sugar cookies become tangy treats when the batter is made with lime juice and zest. Cut the dough into big daisylike shapes, and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Ingredients
Makes about 2 dozen
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest, plus 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes total)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
1)Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
2)Put granulated sugar and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed 1 minute. Add butter, and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla and lime juice. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture.
3)On a lightly floured work surface, halve the dough. Flatten each half into a 10-inch disk, and wrap each in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
4)Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with 1 half at a time, roll out dough on parchment paper to 1/8 inch thick. Cut shapes from dough with a 3-inch flower-shape cookie cutter. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cut a hole in center of each with a 1-inch round cutter. Repeat with remaining disk. Wrap scraps in plastic. Freeze 30 minutes; reroll, and cut.
5)Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over cookies. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.