Green Machine Sugar Cookies with a Bearss Lime Royal Icing Glaze

 

If you are wondering about the 'Green Machine' part of the title. That's the name of the rookie FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team that I help to coach and mentor. It's really the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team kids plus seven new students who joined the program during this crazy COVID year. The robotics teacher had to pivot away from FRC and start up an FTC team which was a more manageable size of 'bot since the kids didn't have access to the shop.

This past weekend, they gathered on campus - socially-distanced and masked, of course - for a virtual competition. It was virtual in the sense that there were no other teams present; but we were there in-person. And it was first time I had actually met some of these kids in real life. As I always do, there is some kind of themed food involved, right?

So, as they wrapped up their sixth and final qualifying match, I set out treat boxes with these cookies, a ginger molasses cookie, and a mocha crinkle. 

This is the rolled sugar cookies I've been making for years, but for this version I made a vanilla sugar cookie as the base along with an icing made with some fresh Bearss lime juice that I got from a friend. 

I used a natural food dye to make them green and topped them with some green sprinkles. I think of sprinkles as edible confetti...and it always feels festive.

Ingredients

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

• 2-3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup organic granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing (my Royal Icing on #CulinaryCam)

• 3 egg whites, or more to thin icing
• 6 cups organic powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed Bearss lime juice
• 1/4 t pure vanilla extract

To Finish

• food dye (I used a natural dye)
• sprinkles

Procedure

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside in a bowl.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well. Gradually add flour mixture, until completely combined.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill dough for 1 to 2 hours. Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper.

Preheat over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Shape dough with your cutters, using flour to keep them from sticking. Place on a silicone mat-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 9-11 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

Cool completely on wire racks. Make the royal icing while the cookies cool.

Royal Icing

Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar, vanilla extract, and Bearss lime juice. Beat for another minute. If the icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it's too thin, add more sugar. Dye whatever color or colors you want; I made just green for this batch. 

To Finish

Smooth the colored royal icing over cooled cookies. Top with sprinkles.