Sunny Slices

These cookies, with their subtle citrus flavor, are a fun way to welcome Spring! OR say goodbye to summer :( You can change the zest and juice to make either orange or lemon slices ... Hmm.. I wonder if lime would be any good? From the Great American Home Baking Cookie Collection--** Plan ahead! Dough needs to chill for at least an hour!

• Ready In: 37 mins
• Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• Cookies

• 1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1  cup butter, softened
• 2  eggs
• 1  tablespoon orange zest, grated
• 2  teaspoons  orange juice
• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

• Frosting

• 1  cup confectioners' sugar
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
•  orange  decorator sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer , beat together 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the butter until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs , mix well.
3. Stir in orange zest and orange juice. Blend well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt;mix well.
5. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until a dough forms.
6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for an hour , or up to overnight.
7. Preheat oven to 400*.Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.
8. Place remaining sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll dough into 1" balls and roll them in sugar. Place approximately 1" apart on cookie sheets. Flatten balls with bottom of a glass.
9. Bake cookies until edges just begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, cooling completely.
10. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine confectioners sugar and lemon juice. Place icing in a pastry bag fitted with a writing tip. Pipe orange slice pattern and seeds onto cookies. Let dry.
11. Pipe icing around edges of cookies. Roll edges in orange decorating sugar. Let dry completely.
12. I also would like to say I totally cheated on the ones in the photo as far as icing goes! I bought the icing in a decorating can. I do NOT recommend this. The pressurized can makes it impossible to get a straight line. I ended up squirting all the frosting into my pastry bag. LOL.