I had already planned to make cookies today…I just hadn’t planned on making quite this many.  

But after harvesting the goodies from the garden this morning, and noticing all the ripe and near-ripe key limes on the tree, the ball started rolling with…

Key Lime Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp grated lime zest
• confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, egg and egg yolk until smooth.  Stir in the lime juice and lime zest.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, then blend this into the creamed mixture.  

The dough is going to be sticky, so the best way to dish it out is with a “disher” or ice cream scoop.  Spray the disher with non-stick spray and scoop out dough (more batter than dough really) in tbsp size glops.  

Bake the glops 8 to 10 minutes, or until the bottom edges are just slightly brown.  Slide the parchment paper onto wire racks.  Sift confectioner’s sugar over the tops of the cookies while they’re still warm.
 

Next up are my personal favorites…

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to (of course) 350 degrees.  Beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Add this to the wet ingredients and combine thoroughly.  Add the oats and chocolate chips, stir well to combine.

Drop by the tablespoon-ful onto parchment paper-covered cookie sheets and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Slide the paper to wire racks, cool completely, etc. 

Fair warning, the above recipe makes a crapload of cookies.  Substitute raisins for the chocolate chips, but only if you must.
 

And finally…

Chocolate Drops

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to (surprise!) 400 degrees.  Prep parchment paper-cookie sheets.

Mix together the shortening, sugar and egg.  Stir in the milk and vanilla, combine thoroughly (don’t freak if it looks curdly, the dry ingredients will fix that).  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.  Mix this into the wet ingredients.  Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepped cookie sheets.  The easiest way to do this is with two spoons, just roll the scoop between them until it is round-ish.  (Bonus: then you get to lick TWO spoons!)

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, then cool on the parchment paper on racks. Frost them with royal icing, dust with powdered sugar, or eat as is.
 

Aaand I think that’s enough cooking for today.  Though I tell you what I need, a decent sugar cookie recipe for the plethora of Christmas-shaped cookies we’ll be making in the next two weeks.  Anyone?  Bueller?