Jalapeño Lime Shortbread Cookies are the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and a little spice. The acidity of the lime perfectly balances the heat from the jalapeño, and the sweet glaze adds the perfect touch of sweetness. This recipe is a must-try for anyone who loves jalapeños, like me, and for those who want to try something new and different.
Making these cookies is simple and easy, and it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. To make them, you will need a stand mixer, two bowls, a cookie sheet, parchment paper, and a few ingredients from your pantry and refrigerator.
Ingredients Notes:
Jalapeno:
When used in the Jalapeño Lime Shortbread Cookies, the jalapeno provides a slight heat that complements the sweetness of the glaze and the tartness of the lime. To control the heat level, you can adjust the amount of jalapeno used in the recipe. For a milder cookie, use less jalapeno, and for a spicier cookie, use more. If you love jalapenos as much as me I suggest try my Jalapeño Poppers and Lentil and Quinoa Soup with Jalapeño and Preserved Lemon.
Lime:
In the Jalapeño Lime Shortbread Cookies, the lime adds a bright and refreshing flavor that balances the heat from the jalapeno and the sweetness from the glaze. The lime juice is used in both the cookie dough and the glaze, ensuring that the tart flavor is present throughout the entire cookie.
Confectioners' Sugar:
Confectioners' sugar, also known as powdered sugar, is a fine-textured sugar that is commonly used in baking and for making icings and glazes. In the Jalapeño Lime Shortbread Cookies, confectioners' sugar is used in both the cookie dough and the glaze, adding a touch of sweetness to the cookies. The glaze is made by mixing confectioners' sugar with lime juice, which creates a sweet and tangy topping for the cookies. Confectioners' sugar is a staple ingredient in many dessert recipes and is a great way to add sweetness without adding a granulated texture to the final product. If you enjoy bake good with sweet and tangy glaze try Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins, Grapefruit Pistachio Muffins, Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies with Vanilla Glaze, and Lemon Blueberry Muffins.
Overall, the combination of jalapeno, lime, and confectioners' sugar creates a delicious and unique flavor profile in the Jalapeño Lime Shortbread Cookies. Each ingredient adds a distinct flavor that complements the other ingredients and creates a cookie that is both sweet and savory, with a touch of heat. These cookies are sure to be a hit with anyone who loves a good balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors.
Shortbread Cookie Base
This shortbread cookie base recipe is super easy and very versatile. The dough recipe is the base of several of my favorite cookies. It works perfectly for these simple Earl Grey Short Bread Cookies and is also a surprisingly great base for these spicy Jalapeno Lime Shortbread Cookies.
Instructions:
The first step is to preheat your oven to 350F. In a stand mixer, combine the soft butter, lime juice, and confectioners' sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Then, add the dry mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix on low until the dough starts to come together. The dough will be a little crumbly, but try to shape it into a log and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour to allow it to firm up.
Once the dough is chilled, cut the log into ½-inch slices and place the disks on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden. While the cookies are baking, mix the remaining confectioners' sugar and lime juice in a small bowl to make the glaze.
Once the cookies are at room temperature, use a spoon to glaze the top of each cookie. Finally, sprinkle a little salt on the cookies before the glaze sets. If you are serving the cookies immediately, you can top the glaze with a thinly sliced jalapeno. However, if you are making them ahead of time, I would suggest skipping this step as the jalapeno can cause the glaze to split over time.
The result is a delicious and unique cookie that is sure to impress your friends and family. The jalapeno adds a subtle heat that is not overpowering, and the lime and sugar create a perfect balance of flavors. The shortbread cookie base is crumbly and buttery, and the glaze adds a touch of sweetness.
Other Versions of Short Bread Cookies:
The base dough for these cookies is very versatile. It is delicious with simple additions like in Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies and Cardamon Shortbread Cookies. Or try the dough pack with dried fruit and nuts in Orange, Cranberry, and Pistachio Shortbread Cookies and Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies with Vanilla Glaze.
Jalapeño Lime Shortbread Cookies are a unique and exciting treat for those who love jalapeños, crave sweet and salty flavors, or just want to try something new. These cookies are quick and easy to make, making them a great option for entertaining or just satisfying your sweet tooth. With a spicy kick, these cookies are perfect for adults who enjoy a little heat in their treats. If you're looking for more cookie recipes that cater to your adventurous palate, try our Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies.
If you’ve tried this Jalapeño Lime Shortbread Cookies recipe or any other recipe on BalancingBowls, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.
Recipe
Jalapeño Lime Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoon butter at room temperature
- ½ C confectioners' sugar for the cookies
- ½ C confectioners' sugar for the glaze
- 2 tablespoon of lime juice for the cookies
- 2 tablespoon of line juice for the glaze
- ¼ C fresh jalapeno diced
- 1½ C all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt for the cookies plus ½ teaspoon to top the glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. In a stand mixer, combine the soft butter, lime juice, and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add the dry mixture to the butter, sugar, and chooped jalapeno and mix on low until the dough starts to come together.
- Place the dough onto a surface dusted with flour.
- The dough will be a little crumbly but try to shape the dough into a log and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Once the dough is chilled, cut the log into ½-inch slices and place the disks on the cookie sheet.
- Cook in the oven for 14-16 minutes or until the bottoms get slightly golden.
- In a small bowl mix the remaining confectioners' sugar and lime juice.
- Once the cookies are at room temperature use a spoon to glaze the top of the cookies. Finally, sprinkle a little salt on the cookies before the glaze sets.
Nikki says
OK these are out of this world! Such a surprising weird combination but amazingly delicious.
Megan says
Where do you add in the jalapeno?
Nora Bourdeau says
Sorry, thats or catching that. I add the chopped jalopenos with the butter and sugar. I am going to edit the post- Thanks again