Coconut & Lime Cream Cheese Cookies

I don't know if I ever told you, my dear readers, when my daughter was born, I used to illustrate stories for children. I could spend hours and hours creating my characters, making them move through pages of the stories. I have couple of my favorite drawings from the time and I would like to share them with you. These are very dear to me. They are full of joy and warmth - two illustrations from the story about a little mouse afraid of thunder.



Every evening when it was raining outside, in bed he covered himself with blanket shaking with fear like a leaf. But one evening his wise father told him a story, that rain is the voice of the sky, and the thunder is the sound of sky drums. Squeaking of trees in the wind is a sound of violin and there is no need to be afraid, because all sounds make one symphony of nature, one lullaby song for his son. And after this story little mouse has finally fell asleep and had sweet dreams. He was no longer afraid of thunder and storm and every time it was raining outside he was trying to listen carefully and find new sounds in the melody of nature.

Remembering this story I have baked some coconut cookies for my kids which are perfect with hot tea before bed time. What is your favorite children story?

For more illustrations, please visit my Flickr page.



Coconut & Lime Cream Cheese Cookies



Makes: About 2 dozen of cookies

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, cut into small pieces
• zest of one key lime
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and still warm
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. whole milk
• 1 Tbsp. of key lime juice
• 1/2 cup of powder sugar for rolling cookies

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together sugar, cream cheese, and lime zest. Pour the warm melted butter over cream cheese mixture and whisk until all combined. Add egg, milk, and lime juice, and mix well.

In a medium bowl mix together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and coconut. Add dry ingredients to the main mixture and using rubber spatula mix well until completely combined.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and roll them lightly in the confectioners' sugar. Place about one inch apart on baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are just golden on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. When cookies are done let them cool on wire rack.