We would do well to have at least one festive cookie in our repertoire for every holiday; let these Key Lime Crackle Cookies be your choice for St. Patrick’s Day. These cookies are adorable and the key lime flavor – one that is a bit unexpected in a cookie – is quite refreshing. As a kid, St. Patrick’s Day is fun because of the sense of mystery surrounding things like leprechauns and clovers with four leaves. I remember scouring the lush, green grass near my home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts for such a clover. And what kid didn’t find themselves fantasizing about actually finding a pot of gold at the end of that elusive rainbow? Leprechaun traps in school and Disney’s Darby O’Gill and the Little People (with that banshee that scared the crud out of me as a kid)… St. Patty’s Day is a great, great holiday, deserving of a great (green) cookie.
Tip: We didn’t have green sanding sugar on-hand so we used sprinkles, which did not result in as intense of a green finish as we hoped for. Although fine sanding sugar would be your first choice, we don’t see why you couldn’t grind some sprinkles in a spice grinder as an alternative.
Have your kids help you whisk dry ingredients and roll dough balls in the sugar mixture. Let them smell the tropical aroma of the key lime zest and juice. *Mouth officially watering now* You might as well teach them a fun fact about limes while you’re at it:
- Limes have tons of vitamin C, which helps to rejuvenate your skin.
A few interesting facts about St. Patrick’s Day:
- March 17th is celebrated as St. Patrick’s Day because Patrick is thought by many to have played a major role in the conversion of Ireland to Catholicism. He was born in England and sold as a slave at age 16, where he served as a shepherd in Ireland for about six years.
- It is said that the clover is a symbol of the day because Patrick used a clover with three leaves in his explanations of the Holy Trinity. The shamrock clover is Ireland’s official flower.
- There were once found fourteen leaves on a single shamrock!
Adapted slightly from: Key Lime Crackles
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon grated Key lime zest, plus 3 tablespoons Key lime juice (from about 5 key limes. OR use regular lime zest and 1½ tablespoons each lemon and lime juice)
- 4 (plus) drops green food coloring
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons green sanding sugar
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lime zest and juice, then beat in the food coloring. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the confectioners' sugar and sanding sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and toss in the sugar mixture to coat completely. Arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and cracked on top and lightly golden around the edges - start checking at 13 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
