Tropical Lime Thumbprint Cookies

By kayjayjohnson

Ingredients

• Lime Dough
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tbsp grated fresh lime peel
• (from about 2 limes)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Coconut Filling
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup dried pineapple, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried papaya or mango, finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Lime Dough: In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter, confectioner's sugar and lime peel until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl
with rubber spatula. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until mixed. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour and salt until blended, scraping bowl occasionally.

Scrape any lime peel from beaters and stir into dough. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is firm enough to roll. (Or place dough in freezer for 30 minutes)

Meanwhile, prepare Coconut Filling: In small bowl, with fork, beat egg white, and granulated sugar until mixed. Stir in coconut, almonds, pineapple, papaya and lime juice until well mixed. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough 3/16 inch thick. With floured 2 inch fluted round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible, reserving trimmings. With lightly floured wide spatula, carefully place cookies 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. (If dough becomes too soft, transfer to freezer for 10 minutes).

Spoon 1 measuring teaspoon filling onto center of each cookie, pressing lightly to form a thumbprint in the center of the cookie. Wrap and refrigerate trimmings. Bake cookies 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough, trimmings, and filling.

Store cookies in tightly covered container, with waxed paper between layers,at room temperature for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 3 months.