In my next life I'm coming back as a surfer girl. Just so you know. When I tell people this, they look at me like I'm crazy because why wouldn't I just drop everything and do that right now? Meh, I don't have the dedication to my surfer-girl cause, I'd rather do other things. But next time? It's on. I have a hazy idea of me, a beach shack, a surfboard, and a beautiful beach and I love it. I love the beach. And at this time of year, when I'm dying for long, hot days I especially love thinking about the beach.
Summer fever -- I have it, big time. And these Coconut Butter Thins were the perfect cookie for me this week. First of all, I love lime. I love the way that it smells, I love to cook with it, I love a margarita, and I adore a mojito. Oh, I also find a twist of lime very necessary in a vodka tonic and it's delicious in a coke or a diet coke (but none of that diet coke with lime stuff for me, that's just weird). I like lemonade a lot but I like limeade so much more. So, as I was rubbing my lime zest into the sugar I was just really, really excited about these cookies. I had images of sandy beaches, blue skies and sunshine, and tropical drinks floating through my head.
The recipe calls for macadamia nuts and I didn't have any macadamias on hand. They're not really a nut that I enjoy and I've heard that they're very expensive so I decided to substitute another nut. I had: peanuts, pecans, blanched almonds, and a can of marcona almonds. I went with the marcona almonds because I thought that they would work well with the coconut and lime. And, the picture of the Spanish village on the front of the can made me feel like they might add a sort of sunny, warm aspect to the cookies. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. These cookies are insanely easy to make and they're very, very similar to the pecan shortbread recipe. I just love the rolling of the dough in the ziploc bag. It's so simple. I ended up chilling mine overnight and then I cut and baked the cookies the next morning. I didn't have the problem with spreading that some people mentioned on the P&Q and I'm so curious to see pictures of the lacy cookies that some of the TWDers got this week. I have no idea whether or not mine turned out how they're supposed to but they're delicious!! The coconut and lime are very subtle and the marcona almonds worked really well in these cookies. I did add squiggle of white chocolate to about half of the cookies, just to see how the flavor of the white chocolate works with them, and I loved it. Thanks to Jayne of The Barefoot Kitchen Witch for picking this week's recipe. Check out her blog, it's absolutely fantastic!
37 comments:
Great job on your cookies! They didn't spread at all - the shape is gorgeous! I love the beach too so your vision of the next life sounds amazing :)
Um - how did you make these look so perfect - and the cute little basket with the pretty paper. Jealous of your skills. I have a beach dream too - a bartender/baker on a beach! Nice ring to it huh?
Ok, how did you get these to hold a shape even remotely like a square? They look fantastic! Like Lorna Doones.... mine spread like wildfire all over the baking sheet. Hm.... I might try these again - after looking at yours. Nicely done!!!
Man, do these cookies look delicious! Jessica, you have me craving summer now. I'm so excited that you've joined Lorelei's group for Sweet Melissa!! It's going to be so fun!
These look awesome!!
They look perfect! Mine held their shape for the most part, although I did have a few rogue spreaders. I also cut mine more like rectangles. Oh well...still tasty! Nice job, surfer girl! :o)
Ilove that your cookies held their shape!! I want that.... Somehow my shortbread cookies always spread out...
LOL LOL In my next life... humm... I'm coming back as a man! I wan't to decide, be the king of the hill, get big pay checks and complain that my flu symptoms are way more terrible than others'!!! I wonder what cookies could remind me of my next life!!!
Very well done, Jessica... and good luck on your reincarnation! LOL God forbid you's come back as professional skier! LOL
Here's the deal: you can have the beach and the surfer life if I can have those cookies? Sounds fair to me! Your cookies are perfect; maybe that overnight chill was the trick?
Nancy
ohhh. those do sound like summer forever. they're beautiful, and i love the icing on top!
Great idea to use Marcona almonds, Jessica! I love those things! I love lime, too, and really thought more zest would have been great in these. I think refrigerating overnight may have helped avoid the spread. I'm not a huge white chocolate fan, but I can see that the flavor would go very well with these. I hope spring finds you soon!
Yours are so fancy - put mine to shame! Mine are thinner than yours also - but they were clearly delicious since we ate them all! Glad I only made half a batch of them.
You are so right - the lime was amazing in these cookies and totally had me yearning for summer. I love your squiggles, and love that you used almond. I liked these with macadamias, but almonds are my favorites, and I'm much more likely to have them in the house. Oh, and I'm going to remember to chill mine longer next time!
White chocolate!!! Now you're talking!!! Gorgeous, GORGEOUS cookies... I froze mine overnight and I couldn't get them that shape! Awesome job!
The beach, cookies, surfing how could you go wrong with those three things! I love your cookies and really like the container you put them in. I think we both like pretty bags! Thanks for the comment on the bunny and chick bag..I fell in love with them!
Im glad you loved these cookies, I thought they rocked!
Oh they look terrific, I may just have to try them again! BTW, would love to be a surfer girl in my next life. I went to surf camp for a week in Costa Rica a few years ago, and it is tough.. but so fun! :)
you squiggled what on the cookies? white chocolate.. OMG! that sounds totally divine now..
Your cookies look fabulous, your blog is too cute!
Oh - I LOVE the little glaze you put on them! What is that? Can you give us the recipe?
I will so be the beach bunny to your inner surfer girl. I can lie on a beach like it's my JOB.
ok...gotta know how your cookies didnt spread? I couldnt even see the fork marks. :) But..they were sooooo good!! Love the presentation!
I love the white chocolate addition! Wish I had a better sense of balance to be a sufer girl!
Love the shapes, love the squiggles! THIS is what I thought mine would look like...but I got spreaders instead. Anyway, they taste great and that's what matters.
well done !!! Your cookies look soooo good !!
Good idea with the white squiggle. They look good. Surfer girl, huh!!! Maybe after you finish your M.A. in ____???? Yummy!
Ok, wow! Your butter thins are by far the prettiest I've seen!! What the heck did I do wrong? I refrigerated overnight too- so it can't be that!!! Anyway, I loved the flavor and texture so I guess I'll just have to deal with the fact that mine were ugly looking! haha
In my next life I want to be a rock star.
I'm with you on the lime. These were really good with the macadamia nuts, too.
Wow, those look beautiful. And I agree with you: bring on the lime--and the beach!
Wow, I guess you figured out the secret to perfect butter thins.
Nice work!
Yum, these look great!
Wow, these sound so buttery and delicious, I know I'd like them!
Well they look gorgeous! I liked these cookies more than I thought I would. I keep nibbling at them LOL
I want to come back as a surfer girl too. :P
Your cookies look perfect. I love the white chocolate squiggle too.
Wow. Those are perfect cookies. Mine spread everywhere. I love your surfer girl vision. I love summer too.
Your cookies look so perfect! YUM!
I love the squiggles. Your cookies look really good. I didn't get a chance to make them yet, but the more descriptions I read, the more I want to try them.
Beautiful job! I like the white chocolate squiggles, too. Thanks for baking with me!
Your cookies look perfect! They were a very 'beachy' cookie.
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