Looking for a tea party cookie to serve at a special event? Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies can be dressed up pretty or eaten any ole way. They pack up great for gifting and potlucks too.
We don’t often make confections like these. But once in awhile Kayti whips out her piping tip. This is her inspiration for a summery cookie everyone will love. Zesty Lime and mellow coconut are great together in these shortbread cookies. The icing is graced with a touch of lime to wake up your taste buds. Yummy cookies!
Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies ungarnished travel well and look great on a party tray.
[tweetthis hidden_urls=”pic.twitter.com/FlpaP1UEjS”]Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies. Excellent summer party treats! #cookies#sweets#party#food[/tweetthis]
Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies Recipe:
These cookies are not hard to make but if you are decorating them like we did, carve out an hour or two extra to let the icing set before boxing these up. The lime glaze adds a touch of zingy citrus with the sweet that compliments the shortbread and works well with the coconut and lime in the cookies.
Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies
Toast the Shredded Coconut:
I used my Silpat mats for this project. I have had them over a year. They are incredibly handy for baking. If you don’t have a silpat mats use parchment paper or oil your cookie sheets really well.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Spread the coconut on your silpat mat lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for three minutes. Stir the coconut shreds. Bake for another three minutes until the coconut browns as shown below.
Toasted coconut
For the Shortbread Dough:
Use a food processor to make the shortbread dough. I used my Cuisinart 14 cup food processor. Putting the dough together this way gets the coconut and lime a consistent size and the dough is SO easy to make!
Instructions:
In a food processor with the metal blade:
- Pour in the sugar, vanilla, coconut shreds and lime zest. Pulse until the coconut and lime are finely chopped.
- Add in the flour in 1/2 cup amounts. Pulse in between additions.
- Add butter a chunk at a time. Pulse once after each addition.
- Put the dough (It will not be formed into a dough yet) into a large bowl.
- Work the dough with your hand (grab it and squeeze a few times to see if it begins to hold together)
- Add water one tablespoon at a time to the dough mixture if it’s crumbly.
- Once the dough is formed divide it into two sections and form each into a ball that hold together well enough to roll out.
- Roll the first ball out on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut into cookies and lay on a lined cookie sheet (Or well oiled)
Shortbread Dough
Bake the cookies:
Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes or until the cookies turn slightly brown.
Cool the cookies on a cooling rack. Repeat with the second dough ball until all cookies are baked and cooled.
Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies fresh out of the oven
For the glaze:
- Whisk Together the powdered sugar, lime juice(If you are using fresh squeezed lime juice strain out the pulp) and water.
- Adjust the consistency of the icing to your needs by adding a bit more water or sugar as needed.
Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies
To Decorate:
- Color 3/4 of the icing with Wilton green gel color to your preference.
- Set aside the remaining white icing.
- Insert a number 1 round decorating tip into a piping bag. Add some green icing and draw circles around the outer edge of the cookies.
- Before the icing sets up come back and fill the circle with more green icing with a spoon.
- When all the cookies are glazed with the green icing let it harden some.
- Wash out your piping tip and insert it into a new piping bag to Drizzle on the white icing in lines over the green.
- If you prefer you may sprinkle a small amount of lime zest and toasted coconut over the icing topping before it sets.
- Let the cookies harden at least an hour before stacking or the top will be damaged. When stacking in a box separate your cookie layers with parchment paper to avoid damage.
- For the Shortbread cookies
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut toasted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 2 sticks cold butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
- For the Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- To Toast the coconut:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Spread shredded coconut onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or a silpat mat
- Bake three minutes.
- Stir the coconut around.
- Bake another three minutes or until golden brown.
- For the Shortbread Cookies.
- In a food processor with the metal blade:
- Pour in the sugar, vanilla, coconut shreds and lime zest. Pulse until the coconut and lime are finely chopped.
- Add in the flour in 1/2 cup amounts. Pulse in between additions.
- Add butter a chunk at a time. Pulse once after each addition.
- Put the dough (It will not be formed into a dough yet) into a large bowl.
- Work the dough with your hand (grab it and squeeze a few times to see if it begins to hold together)
- Add water one tablespoon at a time to the dough mixture if it's crumbly.
- Once the dough is formed divide it into two sections and form each into a ball that hold together well enough to roll out.
- Roll the first ball out on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut into cookies and lay on a lined cookie sheet (Or well oiled)
- Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes or until the cookies turn slightly brown.
- Cool the cookies on a cooling rack. Repeat with the second dough ball until all cookies are baked and cooled.
- For the glaze:
- Whisk Together the powdered sugar, lime juice(If you are using fresh squeezed lime juice strain out the pulp) and water. Adjust the consistency of the icing to your needs by adding a bit more water or sugar as needed.
- To Decorate:
- Color 3/4 of the icing with Wilton green gel color to your preference.
- Set aside the remaining clear icing.
- Insert a number 1 round decorating tip into a piping bag. Add some green icing and draw circles around the outer edge of the cookies.
- Before the icing sets up come back and fill the circle with more green icing with a spoon.
- When all the cookies are glazed with the green icing let it harden some. Wash out your piping tip and bag and reuse it to Drizzle on the white icing in lines over the green.
- If you prefer you may sprinkle a small amount of lime zest and toasted coconut over the icing topping before it sets.
- Let the cookies harden at least an hour before stacking or the top will be damaged.
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Slightly adapted from Gimme Some Oven
Elle
These are delicious. and attractive. However, if you live in a dry climate (as I do) and your refrigerated dough has turned to a hard log, all is not lost! Cut the dough into slices and crumble them onto a Silpat or an oiled surface. Don’t add more flour!!! Sprinkle a small amount of water on your dough and knead it with your hands (I just moisten my hands with a little water, then repeat as needed until the dough is workable. Roll out and bake as usual. Also, I used a 1 1/2 inch cutter, and had to bake the dough for 15 minutes to get a hint of color at 325F. Next time I’ll add a little extra fluid or extra butter prior to chilling.
Diane
Hi Elle, Thanks so much for sharing your experience with these cookies and rating the recipe for us. I’m sorry the dough gave you some trouble. Our climate is very humid and I had no idea the dough could be difficult to work with. I really appreciate your suggestions for dry climate readers. Have a great day.
Kirsten
These look yummy and so pretty! Is that sweetened or unsweetened coconut in it?
Diane
Hi Kirsten, Thank you! These are really good cookies. My favorite way to eat them is with a cup of black coffee and a bit of company:) The coconut flakes we used in the recipe are sweetened.Have a great day!