Happy Accident

My whole life (well most of it) I have wanted aKitchenAid Stand Mixer, a little weird?  Maybe.  Finally, after years of patience, I got it.  A bright, shiny, Professional 600 Stand Mixer, in nickel pearl.  My baby.  For months (before I hit the "purchase" button) I dreamt of all the fabulous things that my mixer and I would make.  Clearly after waiting years to get this wondrous creation, I would need a fabulous recipe for its maiden voyage.  This perfect recipe was going to be French Macaroons with Raspberry-Rose Buttercream.  I'm great at making meringues, and with this new device, clearly nothing could stand in my way.  Wrong.  My fabulous French Macarons were anything but fabulous.  Total disaster.  So much for my dreams of greatness.

I wanted to cry.  What a mess.  Too bad I had already made the raspberry jam and raspberry-rose buttercream.  

Clearly, after the time and effort it took to make the jam and buttercream (I hate making buttercream), I had to find some use for them.  Then it hit me!  I LOVE lime sugar cookies, I LOVE raspberries, so clearly putting them together has to be a great idea!  I woke up the next day refreshed and ready to create something and this is what I did...

Cookies

3/4 cups butter, softened

2 cups sugar, divided

zest of 2 limes (about 2 tbsp.)

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 cups flour

1. Beat butter, 1 1/2 c. sugar and lime zest on medium speed until lightly creamed.
2. Stir in egg yolks and lime juice.  
3. Add salt, baking powder and flour, beating until blended.
4. Chill dough for 1 hour.
5. Heat over to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Place remaining sugar in a bowl.  Make 1-inch balls and roll them in the sugar.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges begin to brown.
8. Cool on racks. 

Raspberry Jam & Raspberry-Rose Buttercream 

4 cups frozen raspberries (about 15 oz; do not thaw)

1 cup and 6 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/4 cup egg whites (about 2 large eggs, room temp)

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp

1/4 teaspoon rose water

Jam

1. Bring raspberries and 1c. sugars to boil in large saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2. Cook until berries are soft, juices thicken, stirring frequently (7-9 minutes).
3. Measuring 1/2 c. mixture - strain into small bowl.
4. Cool strained jam and jam with seeds separately.

Buttercream

1. Combine egg whites, 6 tbsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. salt in bowl.
2. Set bowl over large saucepan of simmering water.  Heat until candy thermometer inserted into mixture reaches 140 degrees, stirring often.
3. Beat egg white mixture at high speed until stiff meringue forms and mixture is at room temperature (about 5-6 minutes). 
4. Add in butter, 1tbsp. at a time, beating until each piece is mixed in before adding the next.
5. Beat in rose water.
6. Add 3tbsp. seedless jam, 1tbsp. at a time, blending well with each addition.  If buttercream looks broken or curdled, place bowl over medium heat and beat again on medium sped.  Repeat warming and beating as many times as needed until buttercream is smooth... you'll have to do this a few times.

Putting it all together...

1. Pair up your cookies by shape and size
2.  Frost one cookie with jam and the other with buttercream.  Place together like a cookie sandwich.
3. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks:

• While this might seem like a daunting task it's easy if you break it up!  Make your jam and butter cream one day and the cookies the next.  
• Don't forget that having your eggs at room temperature is key to a successful meringue.  
• Hint: Forgot to take the eggs from the fridge?  No problem!  Place them in a luke-warm bowl of water to speed up the process.