Recipe for lemon and lime crackle cookies topped with white chocolate - Tampa Bay Times

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There’s nothing more refreshing and light than a lemon-lime dessert when it’s hot outside. The sweet and puckery tart flavors of these citrus cookies are perfect to serve with iced coffee or sweet tea.

The texture is the same as a classic chocolate crackle cookie. They have a slightly crisp edge and a delicate balance of chewy and cakey textures. The sweet white chocolate drizzle is a perfect complement. Serve poolside or bring to the beach in a cooler; a bite will brighten your day.

What’s the best way to zest? My favorite zesting tool is a microplane grater, which easily turns the rind of the citrus into a pile of tiny, feather-light bits without digging into the bitter white pith underneath. This tool is versatile for lots of kitchen jobs, but I like it best for grating anything citrus. For juicing, a plastic or wood reamer works just fine but does not separate the seeds. A simple juicer makes easy work and keeps the seeds separate. On average, a medium-sized lemon or lime yields about ¼ cup of juice.

Lemon and lime crackle top cookies. [ LORRAINE FINA STEVENSKI | Special to the Times ]

How do you get a perfectly crinkly, cracked top? Most cookies have top crusts that become soft and flexible as the cookies cool. If the surface of the cookie dries out before it is finished baking, the result is a top that hardens, cracks and pulls apart. The simple technique of rolling the dough in both granulated sugar and powdered sugar in this recipe dries out the top of the cookie and is the key to those crackly fissures.

Be picky when you shop for lemons and limes. Don’t buy soft or mushy citrus. Avoid buying anything with brown spots, as that’s a sure sign of being on the shelf too long. I look for lemons and limes that seem heavy for their size, promising more juice. Keep an eye out for plump, glossy skin, which indicates the rind will be rich in flavorful oils. Store lemons and limes in a citrus net bag in your produce drawer. Good air circulation prevents molding, so don’t crowd them.

You can also use Meyer lemons for this recipe; they are sweeter and yield more juice. Choose a regular Persian lime for this recipe, as key limes tend to be bitter and yield less juice. Grab your zester and let’s get rolling.

Lemon and Lime Crackle Top Cookies

Lemon and lime crackle top cookies. [ LORRAINE FINA STEVENSKI | Special to the Times ]

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons each lemon zest and juice

2 teaspoons each lime zest and juice

For the rolling:

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

For the drizzle:

1 cup white chocolate melting wafers (I like Ghirardelli)

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

To the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating just until smooth. Add the lemon and lime zest and juice, beating just until combined and scraping the bowl.

On the lowest speed, slowly add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.

Lemon and lime crackle top cookies. [ LORRAINE FINA STEVENSKI | Special to the Times ]

Roll the cookies: Whisk the granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar in two separate shallow bowls. Measure the dough into heaping tablespoons using a cookie scoop and shape it into balls. Roll in the granulated sugar and then the confectioners’ sugar. Place 8 evenly spaced cookies on each pan. Bake two pans at a time on the center oven racks, just until the edges are set and the tops have cracks, about 15 to 18 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan and remove to a parchment-lined tray. Repeat with the remaining dough on the cooled parchment-lined sheet pans.

Make the drizzle: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate just until smooth and pourable. Immediately drizzle over the tops of each cookie in a back and forth motion using a small whisk. Let the chocolate firm up before serving or storing.

Makes about 32 cookies.

Source: Lorraine Fina Stevenski

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August 11, 2020 at 11:28AM
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Recipe for lemon and lime crackle cookies topped with white chocolate - Tampa Bay Times

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