Since moving to California from Puerto Rico and spending many holidays stateside, I’ve come to really love the American tradition of baking and decorating Christmas cookies. It’s not something I grew up doing, but I’ve eagerly embraced it as a late bloomer. As a result, I thought I’d have a little fun and combine my favorite tropical cocktail and the tradition of Christmas cookie decorating into one. This “mojito” cookie is buttery, sugary and refreshing. A touch of rum in the icing makes this an adults-only treat, but you can substitute lime juice for the rum for a virgin cookie option.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 15 to 18 cookies |
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, softened but still cold
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 lime, zested
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note), plus more for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons aged rum
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
- 3 limes, zested (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 pink grapefruit, zested (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
Instructions
- For the cookies: Cream the butter in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl when necessary, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and cream the mixture until the sugar and butter are incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the fresh mint, vanilla, mint extract, egg and lime zest and mix until fully incorporated.
- Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl with a whisk or a fork. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Refrigerate the dough, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Sprinkle flour over a work surface, then roll out the dough on it until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter (see Cook’s Note). Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets 1 to 2 inches apart. Gather remaining scraps and re-roll to cut out additional cookies.
- Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking, until set at the edges and light golden brown on the bottom but still pale on top, about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.
- For the icing: While the cookies are cooling, sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl. Add the rum, lime juice, vanilla and mint extract and whisk until the icing comes together.
- For the zest mix: Toss together the lime and grapefruit zests in a small bowl.
- Once the cookies have cooled, dip the top of each cookie into the icing and shake off the excess. Immediately sprinkle with the citrus zest mixture. Let the icing set, about 15 minutes.
- The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 16.5 servings |
| Calories | 132 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 26 mg |
| Sodium | 60 mg |
Reviews
I had a hard time zesting the grapefruit.
I end up using a potato peeler and put the fragments in the food processor
I end up using a potato peeler and put the fragments in the food processor
Difficulty – easy
Time – 90+ mins total
Mess Level – medium
Taste – the rum and zest shine, but our cookies turned out with a bit more of a ‘four’ taste than we would have liked. Maybe we had too much on the board when we rolled them out? Not an overly sweet cookie.
Time – 90+ mins total
Mess Level – medium
Taste – the rum and zest shine, but our cookies turned out with a bit more of a ‘four’ taste than we would have liked. Maybe we had too much on the board when we rolled them out? Not an overly sweet cookie.