Peppermint Lime Kaleidoscope Cookies

This very special cookie recipe has been promoted to the LunaCafe Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies eBook–our first eBook ever.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Peppermint Lime Kaleidoscope Cookies.

What a whirlwind it’s been in the OtherWorldly Kitchen the past few weeks. Flour, flour everywhere–along with nuts, sprinkles, chocolate, cookie cutters, baking sheets, and cooling racks. And of course the ever ready digital camera. I’m not quite ready to end the madness, so I’ve actually started developing cookies for next year. Two down, ten to go.

At this rate, it will still be Christmas in our house long after the New Year has begun. I really must wind this down. And move on to Christmas fudge. And Gingerbread cupcakes.

So. Our last cookie. I saved this buttery morsel for the final post because it epitomizes everything that’s wonderful about Christmas. It’s grand, colorful, festive, brightly flavored, and well, just plain wonderful. All the things of which memories are made.

Peppermint Lime Kaleidoscope Cookies

These festive little cookies deliver a pleasant surprise at first bite. What better flavor to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year than peppermint. Add lime and you have a party in your mouth. You may not detect the flavor from small amount of added cornmeal, but it contributes to the crunch factor.

Baking Note   For best results, cookies must be COLD when they go into the oven. Otherwise, they may spread too much. Always give cookies plenty of space to spread regardless, at least an inch between cookies.

Baking times are APPROXIMATE. Correct baking times are critical to the success of your cookies. Test your oven and pan setup with a few cookies to start with and watch the timing closely. Dark pans bake faster than light pans or air-sandwiched pans. Silicon mat-lined pans bake faster than parchment-lined pans. Cookies that are rolled to 1/8-inch thick bake faster than cookies rolled to ¼-inch thick. And your oven may be running hot or cold. There are so many variables. Do test a couple of cookies first. It may save an entire batch later.

2½ cups King Arthur unbleached, all-purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch
½ cup yellow cornmeal

1½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks)
1 cup sugar
finely grated zest of 2 limes
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
¼ teaspoon lime oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Finishing
gel food color in rose and teal (or other colors of choice)
multi-colored sprinkles, optional

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and cornstarch, and then stir in the cornmeal. Reserve.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, lime zest, and peppermint extract, lime oil, and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture and mix on very slow speed very briefly, just until a dough forms.
4. Divide dough in thirds by weight. Each portion should weigh about 11 ounces.
5. Put one portion of dough back into the mixer bowl and add a drop or two of rose food coloring. Mix to distribute, then remove the dough from the bowl and wipe the bowl clean.
6. Put one portion of dough back into the mixer bowl and add a drop or two of teal food coloring. Mix to distribute, and then remove the dough from the bowl. You now have three portions of dough: one plain, one rose, and one teal.
7. Roll each portion into a 2-foot rope. Place the three ropes side-by-side and then cut in half lengthwise. Working with three of the ropes at a time, twist them together, enclose in plastic wrap, and then roll to a 2-inch diameter, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap to help compact the rolls. Repeat with the remaining 3 ropes/
8. Wrap well in additional plastic wrap and frig for at least 2 hours or overnight. (The sealed dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days if necessary.)
9. When you’re ready to bake, remove one dough roll at a time from the frig. If desired, roll in sprinkles to evenly coat the surface. Then slice cookies widthwise at ¼-inch intervals.
10. Arrange cookies one inch apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
11. Bake at 325° for about 12-14 minutes, rotating pans at the halfway point to ensure even browning.
12. Remove from the oven, immediately loosen each cookie with a thin spatula and set on a wire rack to cool.
13. Store airtight in layers separated by wax paper rounds in a cookie tin in a cool, dry place. These cookies improve with age. They keep for 3-4 weeks.

Makes about 5 dozen, 2-inch diameter cookies.

There’s More

Check out our three Christmas cookie collections:

• Season 3: Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Silver Bells
• Season 2: Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Starry Night
• Season 1: Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Deck the Halls

 

For the complete collection of delectable holiday cookies, check out our iBook audio description or hop on over to the IPad store.

Format: iBook for the iPad

Price: $3.99

Location: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lunacafe-twelve-days christmas/id584935667?ls=1

Copyright 2010 Susan S. Bradley. All Rights Reserved.