Glazed Lime Shortbread Bars: The war over vegetables

Daughter #2 has become in recent weeks vegetable adverse.  She will eat all forms of protein, but as soon as something green enters her plate, it becomes a series of negotiations back and forth trying to convince her to eat it.  It's exhausting and a process that I do not much enjoy.  The meal becomes a series of numbers back and forth "Five bites" or "three bites" or "just try ONE piece" as I cajole, beg, and threaten Daughter #2 to eat her vegetables.  She staunchly says, "I hate green food."

This cookie somewhat stumps her as she can see the little green bits in there, yet she recognizes it as a shortbread wedge.  She looked at me and asked, "Did you put spinach in there?" and I replied no and explained it was lime  I told her she wasn't eligible for a piece of the shortbread UNTIL all of her green vegetables were gone.  As she loves shortbread (almost as much as she loves meat) she grudgingly sat at the table and slowly, and methodically ate down her green beans.  After each one, she'd look up at me hopefully, waiting for a reprieve, and I kept shaking my head no, and made threatening gestures to throw the last piece of shortbread into the trashcan.  She nibbled more quickly and finally, when her plate was clean, she got her shortbread.

Her final words as she sat and nibbled were, "I wish shortbread was a vegetable."

These are just like the Glazed Lemon Shortbread Wedges, only I substituted lime, and it makes for a totally different flavor and different look.  They would look pretty, to do both of them and pair them on a plate side by side. 

Glazed Lime Shortbread Wedges
adapted from Tish Boyle's The Good Cookie
Makes 16 wedges

Shortbread
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (1 stick plus an additional 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest

Position rack in lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 300. Have either a 9 inch cake pan, a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom or an 8X8 square cake pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, salt and lime zest at medium low speed until well blended. Do not overbeat as you do not want to incorporate a lot of air. At low speed, add the flour and mix until the dough just starts to come together and is not super crumbly.

Press the dough evenly and firmly into your pan. You can use a fork or use your finger tips. (The fork leaves a bit of a pretty pattern.) Press the back of the tines of the fork all around the edges. Bake the shortbread for 35 to 40 minutes, until it is just barely golden. Do not let it brown. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

While the shortbread is baking, make the glaze. In the bowl of an electric mixer (I have tried this just using a whisk by hand and it did not come out well) using the paddle attachment, beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, heavy cream, lime zest and salt at medium speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until ready to use. This is a thicker glaze that needs to be put on warm baked goods to really enhance the spreading process.

Icing option #1 Tish Boyle's recommendation (which I don't think is as pretty)
While the shortbread is still warm, but after the 10 minutes of cooling, cut the shortbread into wedges. Spread a generous amount of the glaze onto each wedge letting it drip over the sides. Transfer the triangles to the wire rack and cool completely.


Icing option #2 Week of Menus Version
After the shortbread has cooled for 10 minutes, scoop the glaze onto the center of the entire shortbread and then spread it over the surface evenly. Allow to cool completely.After the glaze has set and the shortbread is completely cooled, cut into wedges.

Printable recipe

 For gifting the wedges, I used this idea from Silliesmile.  (If I were smarter and more creative, I would use green paper and green ribbon to highlight the green lime yumminess.

My current zester (my other one broke) and it does make some fantastically fine zest.