GF Christmas Cookies: Pioneer Woman Coconut Lime Butter Cookies

This time of year has to be the most fun for me as a baker as everyone wants a sweet treat during holiday gatherings!  There are cookie exchanges, teacher gifts, and neighborhood gift giving opportunities to share homemade goodies!  My license to bake has been approved and I am taking full advantage!!  Even though it is the season of cookies and cakes, I continue to be mindful of our gluten intake. King Arthur GF multi-purpose flour and also the GF baking mix have made my life so simple because they have solved my struggle of getting the right combination of flours and binders!  You just use the King Arthur GF products in a 1:1 conversion from the wheat flour.  The dough of GF cookies are fluffier and a bit wetter so I do add 2-3 minutes to baking times of regular recipes.  I'm sure there are other great GF flours out there you could try too, but I've had the most success with these flours.  

Now on to the cookies!  A few weeks ago, I saw Ree Drummond make coconut lime butter cookies on her show and they reminded me of the yummy lemon cookies that I remember my aunt making.  I'm sure she still makes them, but unfortunately, we don't live near each other and I only see her on Facebook now!  These cookies were easy to pull together as I had all the ingredients already available in my pantry.  Even if you don't cook GF on a regular basis, finding items such as coconut cream (aka coconut milk) is easily done in the international aisle of your local grocery store.  I did these cookies over two days because like most moms my time is short! I baked the cookies and stored them overnight in an airtight container and then iced them the next afternoon in about 15 minutes between gymnastics and the piano recital!

Coconut Lime Butter Cookies:

(Makes 3-4 dozen depending on scoop size)

Original recipe by Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

Cookie Ingredients:

4 sticks (1 pound) salted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lime zest
4 cups GF baking mix or multi-purpose flour
1 tablespoons each of lemon and lime juice

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions:  

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Cream the butter and granulated sugar together. 

Next, add the egg yolks and mix until combined. Add the lemon and lime zest. 

Add the flour and mix until just combined. Then add the citrus juice and coconut extract. Mix on low until a soft dough forms.

Scoop out dough, roll into balls between your hands and place on a baking sheet.

Bake until not quite starting to turn brown, 14-15 minutes. Remove from the oven but keep the cookies on the baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes. Use a spatula to move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.  At this point, you can store in an airtight container until you are ready to ice.

Icing Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cream of coconut (aka coconut milk)
1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus extra for decorating
1 tablespoon lime zest, plus extra for decorating
3 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg white
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cream of coconut, lemon and lime zest, milk, coconut extract, salt, egg white and lemon and lime juice to a large bowl.  Add either more powdered sugar or more milk until it reaches a pourable but still thick consistency. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the icing in a criss-cross pattern over the cookies and then sprinkle a little zest on them.  Icing will set up in. 15-20 minutes and then you can again store in an airtight container for up to two weeks if they last that long :o)