Key Lime Coolers

My love affair with lemons is not unique to lemons. Limes fall in that same category. Knowing how much I love Mexican Wedding Cake cookies, I jumped at the chance to make these key lime coolers.

I used the usual Persian limes purchased at your local grocery store, and key lime juice from the bottle. It is preferable to use fresh key limes, if you can find them. I know from experience the flavor is much more tangy. But they still cane out delicious with the regular limes.

Key Lime Coolers

Cookies:
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp.salt
2 tsp. Key lime zest
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. Key lime juice (fresh, of possible)

For dusting:
1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. Key lime zest

Preheat the oven to 325° F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Blend in the vanilla extract, salt, and lime zest. Add the flour and baking powder, and mix very briefly until a shaggy dough forms.

Add lime juice and mix until a smooth dough comes together, but do not over-mix or your cookies will be tough instead of tender.

Roll the dough into balls about one inch in diameter (I use the melon ball size scoop to scoop out balls , then roll). Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cookies are done when bottoms are slightly browned. Note that cookies are fragile while warm, so handle with care.

To finish, mix 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar with 2 teaspoons of lime zest in a shallow bowl. While cookies are still warm, gently roll them, one at a time, in the bowl of sugar and lime zest. After all cookies are coated, finish by sprinkling any remaining sugar-lime mixture over cookie tops.

Store cooled cookies in an airtight plastic container. They also freeze extremely well. Do not dust with confectioners sugar if freezing. Dust right before serving.

Note: Lime juice may curdle your butter so make sure follow the recipe directions. Do not add the lime juice to the dough until the end of the mixing process. I found that the line zest may masker the confectionets sugar lump. Especially if its a humid day. May want to left the sugar-zest mixture dry a little before coating.

Adapted from: Coffee House Mystery