Key Lime Cheesecake Cookies from Cake Mix

By MJH

Ingredients

• For the frosting:
• 1 C Coconut, toasted
• 1 2/3 C Flour
• 1 C Dry Pillsbury Key Lime Cake Mix
• 3/4 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3/4 C Unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 C Granulated sugar
• 1/4 C Brown sugar
• 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Coconut extract
• 1 Large egg
• 1 C White chocolate chips
• 1 C Unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 pk (8oz) Cream Cheese
• 2 C Powdered sugar
• 1 tsp Pure vanilla exctract
• 2 tsp Milk or heavy cream
• Macadamia nuts (optional)

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 32mins
Adapted from beyonfrosting.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Grease a mini muffin pan with cookie spray or Crisco.

Once oven is preheated, toast coconut on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Toast until coconut starts to turn light brown.

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, dry cake mix, baking powder and salt.
Stir to combine. Set aside.

Allow butter to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Combine butter and sugar in your stand mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add egg and both vanilla and coconut extract.
Beat into butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed.

Slowly add dry ingredients into batter and beat on a low speed until dough starts to form.
Add white chocolate chips and ¾ C toasted coconut.
Mix to combine.
Reserve remaining toasted coconut for the top of the cookies.

Drop 1-1.5 tablespoons of dough into the greased mini muffin pan. Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.
Use a tart shaper or the back of a spoon to gently push down the middle of the cookies.
Allow to cool for another 30 minutes in the pan.
You may need to run a knife around the edge of the cookies to help release them from the pan.
Cool completely before serving.

For the frosting:
Allow butter to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Combine butter with cream cheese and beat on medium high speed until smooth.

Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.
After frosting becomes thicker, add vanilla extract and milk. Increase speed to medium and whip for at least 60 seconds until smooth.

Suggest to refrigerate the frosting for at least 60 minutes before piping.
Frost cookie before serving.
Garnish with remaining toasted coconut and crushed macadamia nuts.