Soft-baked Lime Crinkle Cookies are flavored with real lime zest and juice. The powdered sugar cracks as it bakes revealing the tangy and moist lime cookies underneath.
½cup(113g)unsalted butter, (1 stick) room temperature
1 ¼cups(250g)granulated sugar
1Tablespoonlime zest, about 2 limes
2largeeggs, room temperature
¼cup(59ml)lime juice, about 2 limes
neon green food coloring, optional
Coating
¼cup(50g)granulated sugar
½cup(60g)powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and lime zest until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the lime juice and some neon green food coloring (optional; may also combine green and yellow to achieve this color). Mix to combine.
On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky. NOTE: If the dough seems especially wet and sticky, your butter may have been too soft. Simply chill the dough until it’s firm enough to scoop; about 30 minutes.
Place the granulated sugar and powdered sugar for coating the dough in two separate small bowls. Use a medium cookie scoop (#40 scoop; about 1.5 Tablespoons) to spoon the cookie dough into a ball. (A trigger scoop is recommended due to the stickiness of the dough.)
Drop the dough into the granulated sugar. Roll it around and shake off any excess. (This helps make the dough more manageable.) Next, generously coat the dough with powdered sugar. Place the cookies several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake at 350˚F for 9-11 minutes, until cookies are puffy and the edges are firm to the touch. The center of the cracks will be almost matte (just slightly wet/shiny still). Cool for several minutes on the pan, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
You can freeze lime crinkle cookies before or after baking.
Freeze scooped cookie dough balls, un-coated, on a baking sheet. Then transfer frozen dough to a freezer safe bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Coat dough balls with both sugars and add a few extra minutes of bake time, if baking from frozen. You may thaw dough balls in the fridge overnight, if desired.
Freeze baked cookies, after they have cooled completely, in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.
If even more lime flavor is desired, you can add 1/8 tsp of lime essential oils, or 1 tsp of lime extract to the dough.