Thursday, May 28, 2009

It's Not Easy Being Green: Lime Sugar Cookies*

*tastes like a margarita without the booze.

This recipe is one of my oldest non-family recipes. It is also one of the most labor-intensive and rewarding. The tastes (sour, sweet, salty) are rivaled only by the texture (crunchy on the outside, chewy in the center). They are, perhaps, the tastiest things I've ever put in my mouth. Bonus: they prevent scurvy!

Lime Sugar

Using a microplane, zest 6-8 limes. In a blender, add the grated zest to 2 1/4 cups white sugar, blend until sugar turns green and only a few tendrils of lime zest remain. Your kitchen will smell clean, sunshiney, amazing!


Cookies

6 Tables butter, softened
2 Tables shortening
1 c sugar
1/2 c lime sugar
1 lg egg
1 teas vanilla
1 1/4 all-purp flour
1 teas baking powder
1/2 teas salt

*In large bowl, beat together butter, shortening, white sugar, and 2 Tables lime sugar (I usually add more for a limier cookie). Beat in egg and vanilla.

*In smaller bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour into large bowl, stir to combine.
*On sheet of wax paper, shape dough into 10" log (about 2" in diameter). Wrap. Chill dough until firm, at least 4 hours (an hour if you freeze it).

*Preheat oven to 375°F.
*Cut log into even rounds; mine usually wind up being between 1/4" and 1/2"

*Bake cookies 1/2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets in batches in middle of oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until pale golden.

*Transfer cookies to a wire rack with wax paper under it. Sprinkle cookies with remaining lime sugar. I tend to get carried away and add too much, which is dusted off when the cookies cool.

Also, you'll have lime sugar left over. It stores pretty well in the fridge for a week or so, you can freshen it with the addition of lime zest.

1 comment:

  1. but what bout LEMON SUGAR COOKIES?


    these however, look really awesome and tasty as well. are they a touch green? they look so in the pictures

    ReplyDelete