Zesty Cornmeal and Lime Cookies

These zesty cornmeal and lime cookies are a delightful treat that will excite your taste buds. The combination of fresh lime juice and zest gives them a bright and tangy flavor that is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the white chocolate drizzle. These soft and delicious cookies require no chill time and can be baked in just 12 minutes, making them a quick and easy dessert option for any occasion.

Raise your hand if you're a fan of Mexican food and taco night?! Who isn't?! From tacos to sheet pan quesadillas, spicy chorizo cheese dip, and creamy guacamole with salty chips. Give it all to me! Oh and let's not forget a frozen watermelon margarita! YES PLEASE!!!

To round out this perfect taco night, you need an equally delicious dessert. Cornmeal lime cookies are light and not overly sweet with a bright tangy flavor from lime juice AND zest! They are the perfect sweet treat ending to any taco night or summer BBQ. Let's get baking!

Jump to:

• Ingredients Needed
• How to Bake
• How to Make a Double Boiler
• Make Ahead Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Zesty Cornmeal and Lime Cookies

Ingredients Needed

• Butter - set out for 1 hour prior to baking to bring to room temperature. The softened butter is needed to incorporate into the sugar correctly.
• Sugar
• Egg
• Flour - I always use King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour for all of my baking and household recipes.
• Cornmeal
• Baking powder - make sure your baking powder is fresh! I always write the date on the lid of my baking powder and throw it out at 6 months regardless if it is used all up or not. Baking powder will go bad and if you use old baking powder in recipes then your recipe, and in this case biscuits, won't rise as tall and well as they should.
• Salt
• Lime zest and juice - a zester* will be needed for this recipe.
• Sugar - is needed for rolling the cookie dough balls in before baking.
• White Chocolate Chips

How to Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a stand mixer, cream butter, and sugar together until light and fluffy for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add in egg and mix until just combined.
4. Add flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, lime zest, and juice to the butter mixture. Mix until everything is combined well and the cookie dough has come together.
5. In a small bowl, add the remaining ½ cup of white sugar. Scoop the dough out with a cookie scoop, then roll the ball into the sugar until completely covered. Place on a baking sheet.
6. Once all the cookie dough balls have been rolled in sugar, place them in preheated oven and bake for 12-14 minutes. 
7. Remove the cookies once finished and cool completely.
8. While the cookies are baking, slowly melt white chocolate in a double broiler (see post for instructions if needed). Once completely melted, use a spoon or piping bag to drizzle over the cooled cookies.
9. To finish them off, zest one lime over top of the cookies while the white chocolate is still warm.
10. Enjoy!

Another good thing about these cookies?! No chilling time! Which is my favorite! And if you’re like me and don’t like to wait for your cookies to chill either, then you HAVE to make my No Chill Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are my go-to chocolate chip cookie and I hardly make any other recipe.

How to Make a Double Boiler

Once the Cornmeal Cookies have been baked and cooled, it’s time for the white chocolate drizzle. When melting white chocolate you want to go low and slow - so you can start this while the cookies are baking so they will be ready by the time they are cool.

Why do I need to make a double boiler? Why can't I just do this in the microwave?

Great question! White chocolate is super finicky when you heat it. Because of the milk solids and fats, it can separate very easily when heated. So we need to heat to melt on low heat and slowly. Creating a double boiler allows you to provide a constant low heat not directly on the chocolate for a long amount of time.

How to make one: In a small saucepan, fill halfway up with water and place on the stove on medium to medium-low heat. Place white chocolate chips or a bar in a glass bowl that fits over the top of the pot. Place the bowl on the pot and stir occasionally. As the water starts to simmer, it will be enough heat to slowly melt the white chocolate. Heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until completely melted and smooth, while stirring occasionally.

Make Ahead Instructions

I LOVE making cookie dough ahead of time and do this every time I make a batch of cookies. It is a surefire way to have warm cookies on hand always. Just pop however you want on a tray and wahhlaaa - hot cookies ready to go without having to make and bake a whole batch!

1. Once you have made your cookie dough, scoop out the entire batch and roll it into sugar then place it onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
2. Place in the freezer for 30 - 60 minutes until the cookie dough balls are frozen.
3. Transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag and store for 6 months.
4. To bake: place as many as desired on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and place in a 350-degree preheated oven for 13-1 minutes. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed with the white chocolate drizzle.

Alternatively, cornmeal and lime cookies can be completely made with white chocolate drizzle and all and frozen for 3-4 months. Place in the fridge to thaw overnight or on the counter for several hours at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

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