Lime Drops

Light,fruity cookies tend to go over very well in the summer months.  So when faced with some extra limes on my counter, I thought I could turn them into a nice, refreshing and sweet cookie perfect for this past heat wave.  The cookies are light and airy but full of flavor.  I love the sprinkling of sugar on top, with just a hint of citrusy perfume to enhance the lime.  These cookies were part of birthday baking for my friend Mere and I took a bunch to work to share as well.

Flipping through the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, I spied a lemon drop cookie, soft and made with sour cream and Fiori di Sicilia, which add that perfect secret ingredient flavor.  I swapped the lemons for limes, zested and juiced, and instead of yellow food coloring on the sugar topping, I used green to make a lovely light color.  The cookies are a super soft sour cream sugar cookie flavored just enough to make them different and perfect for summer.

Lime Drops

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup lime juice
2 Tablespoons lime zest
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 drop Fiori di Sicilia
1-3 drops green food coloring

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand held mixer, cream butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice, and zest, then stir into butter mixture.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.  Gradually stir into sour cream mixture until just combine.

In a small chopper or blender, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, Fiori di Sicilia and food coloring and process to fine powder.

Scoop dough by tablespoonfuls (Note: I used a medium cookie scoop) onto parchment or Silpat lined baking sheets.  Sprinkle processed sugar mixture on tops of cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 minutes until gently golden on the edges and just set in the center.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.

Remove from oven and cool on pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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