Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

cookies caliente with salty-sweet lime drizzle

(3 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Nancy Judd
Alpine, UT

This is a beautiful cookie that is literally a flavor burst in your mouth. They are addictive!! This was part 2 of the World Dessert Championships in Las Vegas in Nov. 2013. Part 1 was your 'signature' dish. It took a combination of both recipes to get into the top 10 for the finals. Then Part 3 (finals) was another dessert recipe. This cookie along with the other two recipes is what propelled me to become the World Dessert Champion. YES this IS different but when you're competing you have to have something different. A whole lot of folks sure liked them. I hope you do too.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

One bite of these and you'll see why Nancy was named the World Dessert Champion! This is not your typical cookie. All the flavors are very unique for a cookie. You will continue to taste them after you eat these, but none of them are overwhelming.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(3 ratings)
yield serving(s)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 10 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For cookies caliente with salty-sweet lime drizzle

  • 4 oz
    cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3/4 c
    butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 c
    sugar
  • 4 tsp
    lime zest, divided
  • 4 Tbsp
    lime juice, divided (and more if needed)
  • 1/4 c
    finely diced jalepeno pepper, optional (if using remove membrane & seeds)
  • 1
    egg, beaten
  • 2 1/4 c
    flour
  • 1/2 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp
    soda
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt
  • 1/4 tsp
    cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1 c
    or more white sanding sugar (or lime green sanding sugar - see note below)
  • 1 tsp
    kosher salt
  • 1 bottle
    mild green pepper jelly or
  • 1 bottle
    hot red pepper jelly
  • 2 c
    or more powdered sugar

How To Make cookies caliente with salty-sweet lime drizzle

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • 2
    In a large mixing bowl mix cream cheese, butter and sugar. Blend well. Add 2 teaspoons lime zest, 1-2 tablespoons lime juice, egg and diced jalepenos if using. Blend again. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cayenne pepper. Add it to the wet ingredients and mix to make a stiff dough.
  • 3
    Mix 1 cup sanding sugar and 1 tsp kosher salt in a small shallow bowl or plate. Scoop dough with a small scoop or teaspoon to make 3/4 to 1 inch balls rolling in sanding sugar and putting on pans two inches apart. Dip a flat bottom glass into sanding sugar and slightly press down on each cookie to make about 1 1/2 inches across.
  • 4
    Bake 8-10 minutes until cookies are set and firm. Cool cookies for 2 minutes and then finish cooling completely on wire racks.
  • 5
    *Pour jelly into a blender and blend well. Then put jelly through a strainer. Put into a heavy duty ziplock bag and cut off a small corner. Zigzag a few lines back and forth across cookies.
  • 6
    Make glaze using 2 cups powdered sugar, 1-2 tsp lime zest and enough lime juice to incorporate to make a thick pourable glaze. It should NOT be runny. Put lime glaze into a sturdy zip lock bag and cut off small corner and zigzag between and over the jelly lines. Sprinkle a few grains of Kosher salt on top of each cookie. (Another way to finish the cookies is shown in the photo of the green cookie above.)
  • 7
    Makes about 5-6 dozen cookies.
  • 8
    *Note: If desired you can use both the green and red jelly for more color and ‘heat’ and to make them look ‘Christmasy.’For the World Food Championships I rolled them in lime sanding sugar & salt and used only the milder bright green jalepeno pepper jelly and then the lime glaze. Perfect for not only Christmas but other holidays like Cinco de Mayo, or by the pool or at the beach or anytime for that matter.
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