Coconut Lime Shortbread Cookies are one of those all-time favourite recipes that never get old — light, buttery, and packed with bright citrus flavour, with toasted coconut worked right into the dough and a sweet lime glaze drizzled generously over the top. Made in a food processor, the dough comes together quickly with just a handful of pantry staples, then rolled, cut, and baked low and slow until the bottoms are just barely golden. They are sturdy enough to pack up and give as gifts, freeze beautifully for later, and taste like a little bite of tropical sunshine no matter what time of year you make them. Makes 20–30 cookies. Prep: 10 mins · Cook: 20 mins.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• ½ cup shredded coconut, toasted
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks / 225g) cold butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces

For the Lime Glaze

• 2 cups powdered / icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime zest (plus extra to sprinkle on top, optional)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2–3 tablespoons water

Instructions

• Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
• Make the dough: In a food processor, combine the toasted coconut, sugar, lime zest, and vanilla extract. Pulse a few times until the coconut is finely chopped. Add the flour and pulse until combined. Gradually add the cold butter pieces and pulse until the mixture comes together into a smooth dough. The dough will appear fairly dry at this stage — that is normal.

• Knead and shape: Transfer the dough to a large bowl and knead until smooth. If the dough is still too dry and crumbly to hold together, add water half a teaspoon at a time until it just comes together. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it in half.
• Roll and cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Using your desired cookie cutter (a 1.5-inch round cutter works well), cut out the cookies and place them 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough on a second baking sheet.

• Bake: Bake for 15–17 minutes, or just until the bottoms begin to turn golden. Do not overbake — shortbread should remain pale on top. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely to room temperature before glazing.
• Make the lime glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lime zest, and lime juice. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water and whisk until the glaze reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency.

• Glaze and serve: Drizzle the lime glaze over each cooled cookie. If eating soon, sprinkle extra lime zest over the top for a fresh, colourful finish. If packing up to give away or store, stir the zest into the glaze instead to prevent it from drying out.

Notes

• Make a bigger batch: Shortbread takes a little time to prepare, so it's well worth doubling or tripling the recipe. Extras freeze well and make wonderful gifts.
• Freezing: Freeze the baked, unglazed cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Glaze after thawing.
• Gifting tip: Stir the lime zest into the glaze rather than sprinkling it on top if the cookies will be packed up, transported, or stored — it keeps them looking neater for longer.

Recipe adapted from Ali, Gimme Some Oven