Friday, April 24, 2015

Coconut Lime Cookies

Coconut Lime Cookies

Shredded coconut, fresh lime juice and lime zest bring a sunny tropical flavor to these white chip cookies.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html

This blog is where I share recipes that help me feed my family from the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share. Typically, I'm trying to find ways to deal with a glut of kohlrabi or turnips, tomatoes or greens. Each December I am voluntarily overwhelmed with oranges because I love my kid and he loves marching band and the band sells Florida citrus as a fundraiser.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html

And now, limes.

Why am I overwhelmed with limes? In a word-Corona. We hit Costco for a sled hockey team dinner during a tournament and picked up a bag of limes to go with the adult beverages. As we divided up the remnants, I offered to take the excess limes. There I was--overwhelmed with limes and not a beer in sight.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html

I had 2 sweet ideas for these limes--cookies and cupcakes. Later this summer you'll see my Zucchini Lime cupcakes, but for now, since I think they are seasonal for a Cinco de Mayo dessert, please enjoy these Coconut, Lime & White Chip Cookies.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html
Assembly line: salt, lime zest, cookie dough, cookie sheet, dog.
Since I had all these limes, I wanted to make a cookie that actually used the juice of a lime in the batter. Easier said than done! I looked on the internet but ended up adapting the recipe on the back of the white chip bag for my first attempt. The flavor was fine--but there were too many chips and the cookie was too flat. I opted to base off of my Sunflower Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie and use a bit of shortening to make a cakier cookie. I also dropped the amount of chips down and boosted the coconut up. I like the result, so I'm sharing that recipe.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html

These are not piña colada cookies--there's no rum [why is all the rum gone?]--but the flavors are tropical. The white chips I used were not white chocolate chips. Not entirely sure what flavor "white" is, but they worked well in this cookie. I forgot to take a full on ingredient photo--but I used Nestle White Baking Chips in these cookies.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html

If you want a coconut lime cookie with actual lime juice and lime zest, here's your recipe!

Note: I make my cookie dough, and my pizza dough, at least a day before I plan to bake it. This offers me 4 benefits. First, I can have several kitchen sprints instead of one long kitchen marathon. (I particularly like to take the butter out to come to room temp while I'm fixing dinner and mix the dough up while dinner's in the oven, then clean the kitchen once). Second, it enables the fat to enrobe the flour in the dough, resulting in a better product. Third, starting with chilled dough keeps the cookies a nice shape. And fourth, if I'm sick of baking I can just pop the dough back in the fridge, or bag it into the freezer, for future use.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html
Yes, you did see Robert Barker in the photo earlier.

Coconut Lime Cookies 

1 lime (or ¼ cup lime juice and 1 to 2 Tablespoons lime zest)
1 stick (4 ounces) softened butter (I use unsalted)
⅙ cup shortening (I know, it's weird, double the recipe)
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups (8½ ounces by weight) unbleached all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt + more to finish (I use kosher)
1½ cups shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup white morsels
zest from yet another lime (or 1 to 2 Tablespoons more)

See Note above--I start at least a day before. Zest one lime, then juice it. Set aside. In a large bowl (I'm using my stand mixer) cream together the butter, shortening and sugars. Mix in vanilla, egg, lime juice and zest until thoroughly blended. Dump flour, baking powder and baking soda, and salt on to and mix in. Add coconut and white morsels and stir until combined. Place in a covered container in the fridge for overnight up to 3 days.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, cover a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper, and zest another lime. Have an assembly line going as shown above, with a pile of lime zest and a pile of salt. Scoop (Amazon affiliate link to my favorite 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop) dough into balls evenly space about 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle balls with lime zest and salt. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes until lightly browned, cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish the job.

Have a cookie.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/coconut-lime-cookies.html

12 comments:

  1. Mmm lime & coconut in a cookie?! Sold!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kaitie,
      Good thing I didn't sell these, I'd need to make them all pretty and perfect! I do think that they'd be different at a bake sale--must remember this one.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  2. Sounds really delish. Think I could skip the chips? Would I need to up the sugar?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barrett,
      Good question. I do think you could skip the chips--but I don't think you'd need to add any more sugar. If anything, bump up the coconut to 2 cups for the texture.
      Thanks for asking!

      Delete
  3. I love cookies that have a big punch of citrus flavor. Plus who doesn't love lime and coconut....yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brandy,
      I usually a chocolate fan, but when I deviate, it's in a big way.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  4. I feel as though we are sisters from another mother - trying to use up ingredients that we buy at Costco or offer to take home from a large dinner. I'm in awe of your ability to be creative in the face of a bag of limes - and with no rum in sight!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura,
      I suspect we were raised by terrific women.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  5. I love the idea of getting the cookie dough ready ahead of time. This way, I can take some out of the freezer, make a batch of cookies, then freeze the rest. It's like cookies on demand without the freaky faux dough. I do something similar with my drop biscuits. I need to do it for my cookies too. You've convinced me.

    Also, I am all about the tropics. Lime me baby, one more time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      Faux dough. I like it. I used to be all clever and freeze scoops of cookie down on a tray and then pop them in a bag. But not lately. Frozen scoops of dough are even better--just bake them a few minutes longer.
      My kids like cookies on demand. Makes them all warm and fuzzy to come home from school for that snack.
      Thanks!
      Oh--and I just finished reading I Am Pilgrim so the phrase 'lime me' makes me think of using QuickLime in the Hindu Kush to decay bodies . . . so . . . . there's that. Good book--page turner.

      Delete
  6. I LOVE these cookies! I have a coconut lime cookie floating around somewhere on my site too because it is such a classic flavor combo. And totally with ya on the letting the dough rest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura,
      I don't know if I'm just not built for long sessions of anything other than canning, but making dough ahead is just easier.
      I'm out of limes now (thank goodness) but I'll try your cookie with the next batch!
      Thanks!

      Delete