Key Lime Shortbread Cookies

What do you do with a bunch of left-over key limes from the cupcakes you just made?  Make these delicious cookies!  I am a huge shortbread fan, and making it homemade is just fabulous.  I used real key lime juice and zest, but you could use key lime juice from the bottle (easy to find) and regular lime zest.  Check out the vegan/gluten-free recipe below.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/8 cup key lime juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon key lime zest
1 cup all purpose gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 cup sugar coated in green food coloring

Directions:
Cream butter in mixer or by using a hand mixer. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture is smooth. Add key lime juice, vanilla, and key lime zest and mix until combined.
In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  Add mixture to wet ingredients and beat until combined using paddle attachment.
Roll dough on wax paper and coat with green sugar. Flatten dough until about 1 inch thick.  Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place refrigerated dough on top.  Cut dough into 1 inch squares, or whichever size/shape you want.  Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes.  Wait at least 7 minutes to cool and transfer to wire rack.