My father's birthday was two weeks ago, so I took him to Bonefish Grill for dinner. It was a wonderful dinner; we got the key lime cake for dessert. I have always enjoyed key lime anything, but this cake was fantastic!
So, of course, my brain kicked in, thinking how I could make this a cookie. My first stop was Wegman's to see if they had key limes. They did, indeed. Now to plan out my cookie recipe.
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Ingredients for Key Lime Cookie
KEY LIME COOKIES
- Cream Cheese
- Butter unsalted
- Sugar white
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Key lime juice
- Key lime zest
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Kosher Salt
Coconut Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
TOASTED COCONUT
COCONUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- Butter unsalted
- Powdered sugar
- Coconut milk - I used unsweetened organic coconut milk by Thai Kitchen
- Vanilla extract
- Coconut extract
- Sweetened flaked coconut moist
Juice and Zest Key Limes
Key limes are not very big, but having the right tools will help in getting the job done faster. First, you need a zester that has a fine grater. I use Microplane Master Series for my lemons, limes, and key limes.
When zesting, I do not zest the whole surface of the key lime. This is because you will lose any structure that the key lime has, which makes it harder to juice. So I hoop around the key lime and zest maybe half of the outside.
I purchased my favorite juicer at my local grocery store (cheap). With the built-in reamer and juice collector under it, I find this type the easiest to capture as much key lime juice as possible. However, I have tried the kind in which you put the key lime half in between two curved shapes and squeeze, this type does not work as well with key limes.
Mixing the Cookies
Juice and zest your key limes and set these bowls aside. Weigh or measure the sugar into a bowl and set it aside. Next, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, then run a whisk through to blend.
In a mixer bowl, add the butter and cream cheese. Mix on a medium mixer speed for about a minute until the two are blended together. Now, add the sugar and blend on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. You want soft peaks.
Scrape down the sides, add the vanilla extract, key lime juice, and key lime zest, and mix together. I add one egg at a time until incorporated before adding the flour mixture.
This is a soft cookie dough, so cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350° and add parchment paper to two cookie sheet pans. Add 12 scoops to the prepared cookie sheet pan using a medium cookie scooper. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Start to watch them at 10 minutes in the oven. The bottoms should be a pale color.
Once out of the oven, move them to a cooling rack. Of course, you want the cookies completely cooled before starting the frosting. But with the cookies baked and the oven still on, this is a perfect time to toast the unsweetened flaked coconut.
Toasting Coconut
This only takes a few minutes and adds great flavor to the top of the cookies. I take the cookie sheet pan and add a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom. You can also use tin foil, but I prefer parchment paper.
Spread the coconut around the pan, so they are not clumped together.
Bake at 350° for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it because the coconut can get brown quickly. I pick up the parchment paper by two sides and lift it right out and slide the coconut right into a bowl.
Check if the cookies have cooled; it is time to start the frosting.
Making Coconut Buttercream Frosting
Add the butter to your mixer bowl. First, I ensure the butter is soft enough if it spreads around the bottom of the mixer bowl after turning the mixer on for a minute. Then I scrape down the sides and add the powdered sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and coconut extract.
You want to start at a slow mixer speed and incorporate everything before turning the speed up to medium. Mix for about 2 minutes. It should be creamy and smooth looking. Finally, add the sweetened flaked coconut and mix for about 15 seconds.
Now taking a butter knife, add the frosting to the top of a cookie and then add some of the toasted coconuts on top of the frosting. I press down a little on the toasted coconuts, so they stick to the frosting.
Enjoy the cookies!
FAQs
Since key limes are grown in the Florida Keys and have a shorter growing season than regular limes, you may need to use regular limes if your recipe calls for key limes. I work my baking of these cookies during the key lime season mainly because there is a difference in taste between the two limes. The key lime is smaller, has a more tart taste, and slightly sweeter than regular limes.
You could add key lime juice and zest when making the buttercream frosting and leave out the coconut. You could also make a cream cheese frosting for your key lime cookies.
Yes, you can add nuts like macadamia, hazelnuts, or pecans. White chocolate chips are another great additive to this cookie. You might also like to add some dried fruit like figs or dates.
When there is cream cheese in cookies, you need to keep the cookies in a closed container, but if they get too soft, crack the lid to allow air to get in. This works both ways if your container top allows air to get in and the cookies start to dry out, snap the lid on tight, and they will soften up.
Other Coconut Cookies to Try
Recipe
Key Lime Cookies with Coconut
Barbara HallIngredients
KEY LIME COOKIES
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) Cream Cheese
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar white
- 2 (2) Eggs
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
- 4 Tablespoons (4 Tablespoons) Key lime juice
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) key lime zest
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
TOASTED COCONUT
- 1 ⅓ cup (113.33 g) Unsweetened flaked coconut dry
COCONUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted
- 2 cups (240 g) Powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Coconut extract
- ¼ cup (21.25 g) Sweetened flaked coconut moist
Instructions
KEY LIME COOKIES
- First, zest and juice at least 8 key limes, so you have at least 4 tablespoons of juice and 2 teaspoons of zest. Weigh or measure the sugar and set it aside. Now, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Run a whisk through to blend.
- Cream (baking term) the butter and cream cheese using a mixer. Use a medium speed for about a minute. Next, scrape down the bowl sides and add the sugar. Mix on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the vanilla extract, key lime juice, and key lime zest, mixing until incorporated.
- Next, add one egg at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and across the bottom and mix for another 30 seconds to ensure the eggs are incorporated. Finally, turn the mixer on to a slow speed and add the flour mixture. This is a soft cookie dough, so to firm up the butter, I put the cookie dough into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop, add 12 cookie dough mounds to a prepared sheet pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Once out of the oven move the cookies to a cooling rack. Make sure the cookies are cooled before making the frosting.
TOASTED COCONUT
- Since the oven is still on from baking the cookies, this is the time to make the toasted coconut. Take a sheet pan and line it with tin foil or a sheet of parchment paper. Spread the unsweetened flaked dry coconut around the pan, trying to keep it a thin layer. Bake in a 350° oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it since the coconut is dry it will not take long to toast.
COCONUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- Add the butter to the mixer and mix it for about a minute. You want it to spread around the bottom half of the bowl. Next, add powdered sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Start the mixer at a slow speed until the sugar has been incorporated. Now, turn the mixer to a medium speed for 2 minutes. The frosting should be creamy looking. Scrape down the bowl, and add the sweetened flaked coconut, blending it for about 15 seconds.
- Put the frosting on each cookie and top it with the toasted coconut. Enjoy!
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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