Lime, White Chocolate and Coconut Cookies

For most of the US, winter is not a time with a lot of fresh fruit around. Apples and oranges, sure, but those beautiful berries are mostly in hibernation until the warmer months. But that doesn't mean you 
can't have delicious pops of flavor in your baked goods! Enter citrus.

Whether it be lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit, (or even lemon-lime), a little citrus zest is a great way to liven up any recipes, sweet or savory. It's also a great pairing with the two other main components in these cookies, coconut and white chocolate. The chocolate provides a sweet counterpart to the tart zest, while the nutty toasted coconut meshes perfectly with everything else.

In fact, these cookies are so delicious, that you'll probably find yourself making them again and again, even once all those beautiful berries are back on supermarket shelves.

If you want a slightly easier version of these, you could mix white chocolate chips into the batter instead of dipping them afterward. But I like the half-coated version both aesthetically and flavor wise; you can eat straight down the middle just like a classic black and white cookie!

Recipe:

1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups sugar

zest of one large lime

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

Spread the coconut flakes out on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 325 F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, checking regularly since it can go from golden brown to burned fast. Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, stir together the sugar and lime zest and let sit for 5 minutes. Beat the sugar mixture together with the butter until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the egg, vanilla and lime juice beat until combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined. Roll tablespoons of the dough into a ball and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, about an inch and a half apart.

Bake at 350 F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown. Don't overbake or they'll lose their chewy texture. Remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chip in a double boiler or on low power in the microwave. Carefully dip each cookie in the melted chocolate until half covered, let any excess drip off and set aside until set. Store in an airtight container.