Girl Scout Cookie season is in full swing and I’ve been hit up by my nieces to buy all sorts of classic favorites. Hands down, Samoas (or Caramel Delights as us old timers call them) are my all time favorite. The chocolate and coconut combo can’t be beat. And while these will always hold a dear place in my heart, there is a newer cookie that has grabbed my attention called Savannah Smiles. Have you tried these? They’re lemony, tender, dusted in powdered sugar and all around fabulous. So fabulous that I fear they may edge out my long-time favorites. I can’t help myself. When January rolls around, I get positively enthusiastic about citrus.

Well, I had a half a dozen Meyer Lemons sitting around after making my Meyer Lemon Scones for Jamie’s baby shower, I figured I would try my hand at making a similar cookie at home. These Meyer Lemon Meltaways are just what I was hoping for. They’re dainty, sweet and citrusy, and while I’m a coffee lover to my soul, I actually preferred nibbling on these little cookies with my night time cup of tea. Lemon cookies and tea over chocolate and coffee? I don’t even know myself anymore.
I used my beloved Meyer lemons to make these cookies, but you could easily use regular lemons in their place. You could even go wild and mix up the citrus all together: limes, grapefruits, oranges. They would all yield deliciously sweet results.

Meyer Lemon Meltaways

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of confectioner’s sugar, divided
zest of 3 Meyer lemons (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream together butter and 1/3 cup of confectioner’s sugar, in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add Meyer lemon zest, Meyer lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. The mixture may seem to separate briefly, but simply keep mixing until it comes together and becomes creamy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt. With the mixer on low, gently add dry ingredients, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating briefly between each addition, until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
- Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 1 1/2 inch diameter log. Wrap each half in parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or until firm. You can alternatively freeze the rolls for about 30 minutes.
- Remove dough from fridge, unwrap and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for about 13-14 minutes or until cookies are just turning golden, but still a bit soft to the touch. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 10 minutes.
- Place remaining confectioner’s sugar in a gallon size zip top bag. Add about 3-4 cookies at a time to the bag, seal the bag and toss gently to coat the cookies in the sugar. Remove cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Store cookies in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
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Cristina
Monday 8th of June 2020
This was a good recipe! I was searching for a copycat Savannah smiles recipe and I had to look pretty hard. This recipe was excellent. Not too sweet. They came out crunchy if they were thin and a bit soft if they were thick. The lemon was not overpowering. I used regular lemons. I liked it as it, but it is also a great base recipe to tweak as you please. Mine came out exactly as they were supposed to! Thanks! Cured my craving!
Jamie
Wednesday 10th of June 2020
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies, Cristina! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! -Jamie
Alisha
Saturday 8th of December 2018
I have made these and I used lemonade koolaid and mixed it with the powder sugar and put it in a ziplock bag shook and stored them in a tite container they came out great
Jamie
Monday 10th of December 2018
So happy to hear you enjoyed the lemon meltaways, Alisha! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! -Jamie
Julia - Vintage with Laces
Tuesday 25th of October 2016
I made these cookies today and they turned out delicious. We can't get Meyer lemons here but we have one kind with a thin peel and a very fruity taste. I look forward to these locally grown lemons every winter season. They were just perfect for the cookies. I will bake them again very soon. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Jamie
Wednesday 26th of October 2016
You're so welcome, Julia! I'm really glad you liked them!
Nancy
Sunday 19th of June 2016
I made these today and found them to be delicious! I used Meyer lemons and added more 10x sugar. Mine did not look like the picture either. My guess is you made them thicker than 1/4 inch. This is a keeper!
Jamie
Monday 20th of June 2016
I'm so glad you liked them, Nancy!
Sylvia Alvarado
Saturday 8th of August 2015
Can gluten free flour be substituted? If so, would it be the same amount?
Jamie
Sunday 9th of August 2015
Sylvia- Thanks so much for stopping by. I have not attempted this recipe with gluten-free flour, so unfortunately, I can't attest to the final result. If you give it a try, I'd love to hear about it. -Jamie