Key Lime Cooler Cookies

I’m crazy about key limes.  Whenever I see them in the store, I grab a bag or two, because they’re not around all the time.  I often juice them immediately, and freeze the juice,  so that I have it when I want to make a pie.  With Easter coming, I’ve had Greek butter cookies (kourambiedes) on my mind.  You can also call them Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, or whatever you like.  Just don’t call them late for dessert.   Bottom line is, there’s a thousand different versions of this type of cookie.  Greek butter cookies remind me of those boxed lemon or lime cooler cookies I used to eat when I was younger, so this year, I broke tradition and did a play on that.  These Key Lime Cooler Cookies are light and buttery, with a refreshing  key lime flavor.  Roll them in powdered sugar, and they’re just divine.  

I wanted a different recipe to base these Key Lime Cooler Cookies from, so I looked at many different versions.  What I have here is my adaptation after scouring about 15 recipes.  Whew!  Basically, I was doing cookie research. 

If you can find key limes, grab them!  Just zest about 4 of them, and juice them.  There will be quite a few in your 1 lb. bag because they’re tiny little things, but it goes fast.  Just halve the limes, and use a hand held lemon or lime juicer to extract the juice.  Strain the juice to remove seeds and pulp, and you’re good to go.  I usually get about 3/4 cup of key lime juice out of a whole bag, so freeze the rest or save it for something else.  You can use regular limes if you can’t find key limes.  I don’t recommend using bottled lime juice.  Fresh is always best!

When you’re done mixing your dough, it will be very crumbly, and will require just a bit of kneading to make the dough come together.  I did this in the bowl, because I didn’t want any more of a mess to clean up.  I’m lazy like that. 

When you’re done kneading, the dough will look like this…

Don’t those specks of key lime zest look good?!  If you’re wondering what the white specks are, ignore them.  I tried this with shredded coconut, and I didn’t like the chewy texture.  Completely unadvisable!

Roll the cookies into 1″ size balls, and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1″ apart.

Bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Now comes the fun part!  While the cookies are still warm, roll them in powdered sugar, and place back on the baking sheet to cool.  Once they’ve cooled, sift more powdered sugar over the tops.

These cookies keep in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks, which makes them great for gift giving, or just keeping around for yourself!  You can make these without the lime juice or zest, and they’ll be traditional Greek butter cookies, but I highly recommend trying the key limes.  They have a unique flavor that I’m addicted to.  I wouldn’t juice a whole bunch of little limes if I didn’t love them!  I’m kinda lazy, remember. 

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