a hummingbird shadow
in and out of window bars
mimosa fragrance
–Lenard D. Moore
Happy first week of summer! There’s something quintessentially summer about the flavors of key lime pie. Instead of a whole pie, these graham cracker shortbread cookies are topped with a lime icing to get a taste of the pie in bite-size form!
Key lime pie is simply irresistible and is one of my favorites! Tart key lime juice with both delicious graham crackers and whipped cream? Sign me up! These shortbread cookies are made with a graham cracker crumb and flour mixture, and they taste just like a soft graham cracker pie crust. The icing is simple but filled with lime juice and zest to get that tangy burst of citrus.
I first made these key lime shortbreads for my grandfather on his birthday. He loved them, and they were devoured quickly! But I didn’t add an egg yolk so they were a bit crumbly, and I added lime zest only to the dough instead of the icing, so the lime flavor seemed to disappear. Now, I made sure to add an egg yolk to help bind the dough and added zest to the icing to get lime in every bite!
You can use graham crackers instead of store bought graham cracker crumbs—about seven crackers should equal a cup, but double check the weight in grams on the package. Simply blitz the graham crackers in a food processor until they turn into crumbs.
I used regular Persian limes instead of key limes since the former are easier to find. If you’re able to get key limes, you may need to use three to four key limes to equal one Persian lime. Just make sure you have enough juice to make an easily spreadable icing, but not too runny that it goes everywhere.
KEY LIME PIE SHORTBREAD
Makes fourteen cookies using a 2 1/2” round cookie cutter, rolled 3/8” thick
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE COOKIES
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (120 g) graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- the zest from one small lime
FOR THE LIME GLAZE
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- the zest and juice of one medium lime
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk together the flour and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, butter, salt, and lime zest for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and cream for another minute. Add the flour and graham crumbs and mix on low until combined.
Divide the dough in half and press into discs. Wrap the discs in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Once chilled, roll each disc out onto a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3/8”.* The dough can be fragile due to the graham cracker crumbs, so be a bit gentle! Cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 11 minutes, then let the cookies cool for five minutes, then move to a wire rack. *If you’d like thinner cookies, roll to a thickness of 1/4” and bake for about 9 minutes.
Combine the powdered sugar, salt, lime juice and zest in a bowl. Once the cookies have cooled, spread the icing on to each cookie with a small spoon. Enjoy!
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