Baking cookies with my family during the holiday season is a tradition in my house. One of our favorite types of cookies is thumbprint cookies. This year I also made a variation on our classic thumbprint cookies: tangy lime cream cookies. The tangy lime filling pairs deliciously with the semi-sweet cookie.

Ingredients

Filling

• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 4 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of grated lime peel
• 2 eggs
• 2 drops of green food coloring

Cookies

• 2 cups of softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 5 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°.
2. Combine the sugar, lime juice, lime peel, egg, and food coloring for the filling in a medium saucepan.
3. Cook the filling over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir constantly.
4. Remove the filling from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
5. Cream together the butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
6. Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl.
7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.
8. Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls.
9. Place the cookie dough balls about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
10. Press a thumb or teaspoon firmly in the center of each ball to form in indent.
11. Fill each indent with the lime filling.
12. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden.
13. Sprinkle powdered sugar on the baked cookies.
14. Allow the cookies to cool slightly before removing from the cookie sheet.
15. Allow the cookies to cool thoroughly.
16. Store the tangy lime cream cookies in an airtight container.

Image Credits

Tangy Lime Cream Cookies Recipe © 2021 Heather Johnson
Ingredients for Filling for Tangy Lime Cream Cookies © 2021 Heather Johnson
Filling for Tangy Lime Cream Cookies © 2021 Heather Johnson
Wet Ingredients for Tangy Lime Cream Cookies © 2021 Heather Johnson
Dough for Tangy Lime Cream Cookies © 2021 Heather Johnson
Dough Balls for Tangy Lime Cream Cookies © 2021 Heather Johnson
Indenting the Dough Balls for Tangy Lime Cream Cookies © 2021 Heather Johnson
Unbaked Tangy Lime Cream Cookies © 2021 Heather Johnson
Baked Tangy Lime Cream Cookies © 2021 Heather Johnson
Tangy Lime Cream Cookies 1 © 2021 Heather Johnson
Tangy Lime Cream Cookies 2 © 2021 Heather Johnson