theraineysisters knitting and so much more

Every year our local paper, The StarTribune, sponsors a holiday cookie contest.  The “reveal” takes place at a public cookie tasting.  I have gone to the tasting in years past in downtown Minneapolis.  This year they opted to hold the event at the first indoor shopping mall in America: Southdale.

I decided to enter a cookie.  I was inspired by the smash hit of this year’s state fair: Pickle Lemonade.  I sent my recipe in right at the beginning of the submission window, thinking others might have the same idea.  And they did.  Five of us entered pickle cookies and one recipe was published.  It was not mine. 🙁  So, I am sharing my recipe here!  I have made these many times and everyone LOVES them!  People who don’t like pickles love them.  People who don’t like lemons love them.  Give them a try!!

Pickle Lemonade Shortbread Cookies 

Cookie Dough (can easily be cut in half)
½ cup sugar, plus more for rolling cookies 
2 cups flour
¼ – ½ tsp dry dill (opt.)
1/3 cup dill pickle relish (NOT sweet) prepared as below to equal ¼ cup, or more to taste
Zest from one lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temp
Yellow and green decorating sugars

Pickle/Lemon Icing
3-4 tsp fresh lemon juice
4-5 tsp pickle juice
Zest from ½ to 1 lemon
1 cup powdered sugar
Sesame seeds (opt.) 

Make Dough
Prepare dill relish: use spoon to obtain some of the pickle juice from the jar (push spoon down into the relish) and reserve in small bowl.  If ample juice is not available, use additional juice from a regular jar of pickles.  Measure 1/3 cup of relish and place in small strainer.  This amount should yield ¼ cup relish once prepared.  Use back of spoon to squeeze out as much juice as possible, retaining the juice for use in the icing.  Place relish in a paper towel and squeeze out as much juice as possible.  Set aside.   

Combine all dry cookie dough ingredients in mixing bowl.  Stir in prepared pickle relish and zest.  Add butter and vanilla.  Beat until ball forms.  Chill dough for ½ – 1 hour.   

Preheat oven to 375°.  Combine about 1/3 cup sugar and smaller amounts of the colored sugars in a small plastic baggie.  Roll dough into 1” balls.  Place balls of dough into sugar and shake to coat.  Place cookies on cookie sheet lined with parchment.   Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass.  Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove to cooling rack.  NOTE: these cookies soften once iced, so they need to be crisper and darker in color than standard shortbread cookies.  The bottoms of the cookies should be dark golden brown. 

While cookies are baking, prepare icing:
Combine equal parts of lemon and pickle juice in a small bowl, then add a tsp or two more pickle juice.  Use this to make the icing.  Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.  Add lemon zest and mix.  Adding small amounts of lemon/pickle juice at a time, stir until smooth and desired consistency is reached.  Stir in a few grains of green sugar to the icing to give it a slight tinge of green.   

When cookies have cooled, top with a small amount of icing and spread just to edge.  Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds to mimic pickle seeds.  Let icing dry completely before serving. 

So, how was the official tasting?  A disaster!!  We never even saw a cookie!  Hordes of people descended on Southdale to get a free cookie.

This doesn’t even show how crazy it was!  The organizers rightly assumed that free parking would be a plus, and they were right!  I will not be going next year…

ETA: The recipe calls for dill, not sweet, relish.  Who wants sweet pickles in a cookie??!!?? 😎

PS to Maureen: These really are good.  I’m not kidding!  Pickle juice and lemon juice really mix well together.

PS2 to Bonnie: I can’t wait to hear how it goes!!