I used to make sugar cookies on the regular. I would do thick, soft, cut-out style cookies and then spend hours decorating them. If I’m honest, I made them in order to escape life’s stress. I was in a miserable, unhealthy relationship. Staying focused on the baking and decorating kept my mind at peace. I felt like I was in a situation that I couldn’t escape physically so I would do so mentally. Some people exercise to escape stress, some people turn to drugs or alcohol… I turned to baking. I did ultimately end that toxic relationship, got therapy and moved on to much happier times. It would be easy to resent those years but that would only keep me locked into the misery. Instead, I think of it as one of the most important life lessons I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t be in the incredible marriage I’m in today if I hadn’t experienced my past. I probably wouldn’t be as thankful as I am for the healthy, loving and supportive relationship I have with my husband.
My love for sugar cookies is still strong but I don’t spend hours baking and decorating unless I’m motivated to do so out of joy. “Escape baking” is a thing of my past. Instead, I choose easier, less time-consuming recipes to satisfy a sugar cookie craving. With summer comes bright citrus – lemon and lime season. When I was looking to make some sugar cookies, I saw key limes sitting on my counter and knew I need to incorporate them. This recipe is easy to make, you don’t even need to chill the dough. Perfect for when you don’t want to wait all day to have a homemade cookie.
Tips:
- If you can’t find key limes, go ahead and use regular limes or you could even swap out for lemon if you prefer.
- I made the icing somewhat thick so I could manipulate it on the cookies. If you prefer a lighter icing, reduce the amount of powdered sugar.
Key Lime Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons key lime zest
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the icing
- 2 Tablespoons fresh key lime juice
- 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda then set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lime zest until light in color. Add in egg, vanilla and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add in flour mixture, stopping to scrape the bowl periodically.
- Roll cookie dough into 1” balls then place on parchment covered cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Let cookies cool completely before adding icing.
For the icing
- For the icing: pour lime juice into a small bowl. Gradually whisk powdered into lime juice until fully incorporated and smooth (no lumps). Spoon icing onto cookies as desired.
I used to spend hours baking and decorating cut out sugar cookies. It was like therapy for me, a way to tune out the rest of the world for a while. I still enjoy making sugar cookies but I just don’t have time for the detailed work that goes into decorating those cut out cookies. As I was sifting through my grandmother’s recipe box I came across this great recipe. As with most of her recipes, the original source is unknown. However, the internet is a great tool and I did find the modernized version of this recipe on the 
