Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- For the Lime Curd:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lime juice (preferably key lime)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- pinch of salt
- 4 egg yolks
Preparation:
- Place the sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process until it's very finely ground, about 1 minute.
- Add 3/4 cup butter and cream cheese, and pulse until just blended.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and pulse briefly.
- Add the flour and pulse until just blended.
- Roll dough into two logs about 1-2 inches in diameter, wrap in saran wrap, and chill until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut 1/4" slices from the log of dough and place them on a cookie sheet. Brush very lightly with water and sprinkle tops of cookies with sugar.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until browning slightly around the edges.
- Remove cookies to rack to cool.
- Make lime curd: In a pot, bring 1/2 cup butter, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, cornstarch and salt to a boil, whisking constantly.
- Whisk egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until light in color.
- Whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pot of hot liquid while whisking thoroughly.
- Heat mixture at a low simmer, whisking constantly to prevent sticking and burning, for 3 to 4 minutes, until mixture thickens and holds the marks of the whisk.
- Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill.
- Spread a cookie with a layer of lime curd, then top with another cookie (sugared sides facing outwards).
- Store cookies in the refrigerator
