Spelt Lime Cookies with Blueberry Jam
Imagine these spelt lime cookies as the delightful offspring of crinkle cookies and thumbprint cookies! They combine the best of both worlds, with a buttery thumbprint-like texture and filling, paired with the strikingly crinkled appearance of a classic crinkle cookie. These irresistible treats are beyond moreish. As always, you can use the same quantity of either all-purpose (plain) or spelt flour for this recipe.
This recipe is a unique fusion of two beloved favourites. While the appearance nods to the powdered elegance of crinkle cookies, the texture leans toward the buttery richness of a classic thumbprint cookie. The thumbprint twist adds a customizable filling that enhances both flavour and visual appeal. I’ve filled mine with homemade blueberry jam, but you could use anything. Chocolate ganache, white chocolate, or caramel, would work amazingly well. These cookies are lightly flavored with lime, and strike a perfect balance of softness and richness, making them ideal for any occasion.
What are crinkle cookies?
When creating this recipe, my initial thought was to make crinkle cookies. I’d never tried them before, but their striking appearance immediately drew me in. Crinkle cookies, sometimes called crackle cookies, are known for their distinctive exterior. This is achieved by rolling the dough in icing (powdered) sugar just before baking. As the cookies bake and the dough spreads, the icing sugar forms beautiful crackled patterns—especially dramatic in chocolate crinkle cookies. King Arthur’s test kitchen has got some great tips on how to get the crinkliest cookies, which is well worth a read.
Thumbprint cookies
Traditional crinkle cookies are celebrated for their soft, fudgy texture and signature powdered sugar coating that cracks during baking, while thumbprint cookies typically boast a buttery, shortbread-like texture with a charming well in the center filled with jam or other treats.
For this recipe, I’ve chosen a simple, homemade blueberry jam. I adore the pairing of berries and cookies—my recipe for raspberry thumbprints even incorporates fresh raspberries into the dough itself. If you’re in the mood for something more indulgent, be sure to try my recipe for caramel thumbprint cookies.
Adapt these lime cookies
One of the best things about this recipe is how easily it can be adapted to suit your preferences or what you have on hand. While I’ve chosen lime for a bright, zesty flavour, you could easily swap it for lemon for a slightly sweeter, more classic citrus profile. The recipe also works beautifully with both spelt flour and all-purpose (plain) flour, with no need to alter the measurements.
For the filling, I used homemade blueberry jam to add a rich, fruity touch, but shop-bought jam works just as well if you’re short on time. Feel free to experiment with other flavours like raspberry, strawberry, or apricot. For a decadent twist, you could even use chocolate ganache or a dollop of salted caramel. These cookies are the perfect canvas for creativity, so don’t hesitate to make them your own.
More spelt cookie recipes
If you’re a fan of baking with spelt flour, be sure to check out some of the other spelt cookie recipes on my blog:
- Triple chocolate chunk cookies
- Spelt chocolate chip cookies
- Spelt butter cookies
- Blueberry butter cookies
- Dark chocolate olive oil cookies
- Kolasnittar (Swedish toffee cookies)
- Swedish chocolate cookies
- Copycat chocolate Hobnobs
Spelt Crinkle Cookies with Lime and Blueberry
Ingredients
Homemade Jam:
- 100g (3½ oz) frozen blueberries
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp cornstarch/cornflour
Cookie Dough:
- 100g (½ cup) sugar
- 50g (3½ tbsp) butter (room temperature)
- 1 egg (small)
- zest of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 120g (1 cup) spelt (see note 1)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Coating:
- icing / powered sugar (enough to roll the cookie balls in)
- granulated sugar (enough to roll the cookie balls in)
Instructions
Homemade Jam:
- Add the berries, maple syrup and cornstarch to a small pan.
- Heat the mixture until it bubbles, thickens, and the berries soften.
- Mash the berries with a fork, so you are left with a thick mixture (see note 1).
- Set to one side to cool.
Cookie Dough:
- In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
- Beat in the egg.
- Add the zest and lime juice and mix until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time, and slowly fold in just until a dough comes together.
- When ready, cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 175℃ (350℉) and line a large baking tray with paper.
- Roll the dough into around ten balls of fairly equal size.
- Pour some sugar and powdered sugar into two separate bowls.
- One at a time, take your dough balls and first roll in the granulated sugar.
- Then, roll the balls in the powdered sugar, making sure they have a really good coverage.
- Place on the baking tray and bake for around 12-15 minutes, just until the edges have set.
- When ready, remove from the oven and carefully, using a teaspoon measurer (or the back of a small spoon), very carefully push down into the still hot and soft cookies to create a hole.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- When ready, carefully spoon the blueberry jam into the holes (be careful not to overfill).
- Any leftover cookies can be covered and popped into the freezer (either with or without the filling). Enjoy!
Notes
- If you prefer a smoother jam, blitz quickly in a food blender or mixer.
- You can use all-purpose (plain) flour in place of the spelt. Just use the same measurements as specified.