Lime Sugar Cookies

Another one of my promised Christmas cookie recipes, much after Christmas, but luckily it's not really a holiday cookie anyway, just a regular ol' delicious anytime one!

These were different than cookies I've made before. I don't really like sugar cookies (not a fan of sweets that just taste like sugar) but I thought this one would be interesting with the lime flavor. Also, since I made them so tiny, they are a bit crispier than the typical soft sugar cookie. I'm not sure that they would become more like a typical cookie if you made them bigger, but that's what I would think.

My family & friends will tell you that they tasted yummy, actually I think they were one of the most talked about recipes. Since I don't really like sugar cookies, they weren't my favorite. The lime flavor wasn't pronounced enough for me to change my opinion of sugar cookies, although I think it was the right amount for this recipe. I kept thinking about adding more lime, but I think that would have been too much. I was definitely glad I made them. I don't think I really made any modifications (or if I did, I certainly can't remember now!).

The recipe came from here: Technicolor Kitchen

(It seems I need some baking/cooking books, since all of recipes are from the internet.)

Lime Sugar Cookies

2 cups (400g) sugar, divided
zest of 2 large limes
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 ¾ cups (385g) flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Prepare cookie dough: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and remaining 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time then add vanilla, lime juice, and remaining lime zest. Add flour mixture, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition, until all flour is incorporated.

Refrigerate dough for one hour.

Prepare lime sugar (should be done when you are getting ready to bake cookies): In a mini food processor, blend ½ cup (100g) sugar with 1 teaspoon lime zest. Pulse several times until the zest is incorporated into the sugar. Put sugar mixture in a shallow bowl and stir lightly with a fork to break up any clumps. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 175ºC/350ºF and line 2 baking sheets with waxed or baking paper.

Shape the cookies: Shape one tablespoonful* of dough into a ball and roll in lime sugar. Place ball of dough on cookie sheet and press down lightly with the bottom of a glass until cookie is about 1.25cm (½ in) thick (mine were thinner) – it might help to press the glass first in the sugar then onto the dough, then it won’t stick. Repeat.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes at 175ºC/350ºF.

Makes: 55 large cookies

The recipe is pretty easy, aside from the time consuming sugar coating. I actually accidentally made the lime sugar days before I baked the cookies (on second thought maybe that's why the flavor wasn't as pronounced!), so the mixture was a bit clumpy when I got to coating the cookies, but it still worked out ok.

Enjoy!

Recipe #3!

This recipe was by far my favorite of the bunch, which is saying a lot since I usually am not a fan of butterscotch flavor. The nice thing about these is that the flavor comes from the combination of white chocolate and vanilla. It depends on your tastes how long you want to bake them - whether you like them crunchy or soft - but I recommend baking them until they are just beyond doughy.

(This recipe is also adapted from Gigi Cakes, just like my previous recipe.)

Butterscotch Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine, at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
8 oz white chocolate, chopped into chunks (I used 4 oz ghiradelli baking bar mixed with some chopped up white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda & salt; set aside.

Beat together brown sugar, butter and margarine until light & fluffy. Add egg & vanilla extract & beat until combined. Add the flour gradually and mix until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate.

Drop 2 tbsp of dough at a time about 2 inches apart. Bake until centers no longer look doughy, about 10 minutes. Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to metal racks to cool completely.

Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Yay Christmas cookies!

It's definitely after Christmas, and I've had these cookies finished for weeks, but I'm finally getting some time to sit down & share them. I think I'll do a couple recipes at a time, since I have quite a few to post.

First: (and a special one, as it was my Christmas gift to extended family)



Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra light tasting olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped dried cranberries
1 cup chopped raw pistachios

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream together olive oil & sugar. Add extracts & eggs, mix until blended. Sift together flour, salt & baking powder; gradually add to egg mixture (abt 1/2 cup at a time). Mix in cranberries & nuts by hand.

Divide dough in half, and form 2 logs (12 x 2 in) on lightly greased cookie sheet. Dough will be sticky, wet hands with cool water to shape logs more easily. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven & transport to cooling racks. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until the logs are cool enough to slice without crumbling. Once cooled, cut logs into 1/4 inch diagonal slices. Place cookie slices onto cookie sheet and place back into the oven. Let bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, or until dry. Makes about 36 cookies.


Mmmmm. I used the tasting oil because I wanted a really light oil, but some suggested using canola oil instead. I haven't personally tried it, but I bet it would work.

(Important side note: Twice when making this recipe I didn't have enough time to put the cookies in the oven the second time, so I completed the baking the next day. This didn't work at all...I ended up with gross, hard, crunchy, flavorless cookies. Not sure exactly why.)

When I was through, I also melted dark chocolate (microwave on "defrost" or use a double boiler) & dipped the bottoms of the biscotti into it. Made it a thousand times better!



Second:
World Peace Cookies
from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: My Home to Yours"

Serious Eats: Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies

Yes, I'm taking the easy way out with this one. I don't think I changed much at all with this recipe, although I did think 5 oz was a bit too much chocolate (fell apart when cutting) & I used the sea salt grinder I had in my kitchen instead of fleur de sel. I actually came across the recipe here:
Gigi Cakes

I very much like this blog, especially because she updates with yummy recipes so often!

World Peace Cookies are very good, with a different texture than I am used to in a cookie, and a lot of flavor. My boyfriend also LOVES the dough (I know, no eating raw eggs!) & kept sneaking into the fridge to eat it while I was letting it refrigerate.

Sorry the picture's not better, it's the only one I've got!

Hope you enjoy as much as I do!