Citrus zest and mace create delicious shortbread

ALISON LADMAN

The mildly floral, slightly exotic flavor of mace works perfectly in this simple shortbread that is flecked with citrus zest. Though we used tangerine, any citrus zest — orange, grapefruit, lemon, even lime — could be substituted. You also could use a glass with an attractive pattern on the bottom to flatten the cookies, creating an imprint on the finished cookies.

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TANGERINE-MACE SHORTBREAD

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Makes 24 cookies

14 tablespoons (1 stick plus 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Finely grated zest of 1 tangerine

1 teaspoon mace

2 cups all-purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, sugar, salt, zest and mace until creamy. Mix in the flour just until a dough comes together.

Scoop out the dough in balls about the size of a walnut. Use the palms of your hands to flatten each ball into a round, then arrange on 2 baking sheets, leaving 1/2 inch between them. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Nutrition information per cookie: 110 calories; 60 calories from fat (55 percent of total calories); 7 g fat (4.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 1 g protein; 20 mg sodium.