Coconut Lime Stars

"These crunchy, buttery cookies have a refreshing tropical taste from the toasted coconut in the batter and a tart lime frosting. Reeah Parker of Germantown made these for her son in the Marines one summer and they were such a hit, she now makes them year-round, cutting them into holiday shapes." Found this recipe in The Washington Post - almost an amuse-bouche for a Christmas platter. Refreshing, tart, wonderful! Thank you Reeah! ***Note - prep time includes a 30 minute chill time for the dough***

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 20-24 3-inch cookies

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  shredded coconut, sweetened
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄3 cup cornstarch
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut up (6 ounces)
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 2  limes (grated zest only)
• 2  tablespoons milk (or more)
• 1⁄3 cup lime juice
• 1  cup confectioners' sugar
•  green sprinkles (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread the coconut on a parchment-covered baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes or until a pale gold, watching carefully so the coconut doesn't burn. Transfer coconut to a small bowl and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the toasted coconut, the sugar, lime zest and enough milk to form a stiff dough. Press the dough into a disk shape, wrap it in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch and use a cookie cutter to cut out desired shapes. Transfer with a spatula to the prepared baking sheets, placing them 1 inch apart. Gather the dough scraps, re-roll, and continue cutting out cookies until all the dough is used. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until pale gold, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking. Transfer to racks to cool.
5. For the frosting, combine the lime juice and confectioners' sugar. Blend well, adding more sugar if the mixture is too thin.
6. When the cookies are cool, dip the tops in the frosting. Top with green sprinkles, if desired. Transfer cookies to a rack or flat surface. When the frosting is dry, store the cookies in an airtight container.