The Buddha’s Hand citrus fruit is beautiful, creepy, fascinating, and hauntingly fragrant. But once we’re finished looking at it and smelling it, we never quite know what to do with it. Whereas other novelty fruits often take on the starring role, you won’t find many cookbooks that overflow with Buddha’s Hand recipes.
A variety of citron, it is basically a giant gnarled yellow fruit that is covered with finger-like protrusions. If you cut it open, you won’t find much; just a mass of white pith. But the fragrance is so intense – like a lemon on steroids – that you just want to sit around on a tropical lanai inhaling its scent all day.
Earlier this week, we decided to do something with it so that it wouldn’t feel so left out and under-appreciated. We grated the pith and made a super-intense version of Lemon Crinkle Cookies. We adapted these cookies from The Kitchen Paper, but this lemon crinkle cookie recipe seems to be just about everywhere, so it may sound familiar.
Buddha’s Hand Lemon Drop Cookies
Buddha's Hand Lemon Drop Cookies
A tasty lemon crinkle cookie made with the mysterious fruit known as Buddha's Hand
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp grated Buddha's Hand zest (heaping)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
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In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and the Buddha's Hand zest until evenly combined. Add the butter and cream the mixture until thoroughly combined; add the eggs and continue mixing. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix until smooth. Then gradually stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into small quarter-sized balls and then toss gently in the powdered sugar until lightly coated. Place on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
The intense lemon-y flavor of these cookies is certainly a draw for anyone who loves tangy desserts.
So now, as for the Buddha’s Hand, what do you think: Is it creepy or sweet?
And if you like it, pin it!
P.S. Love all kinds of tangy desserts? Give these lemon bars a try!
Blogger disclosure: Melissa’s provided us with Buddha’s Hand to sample. We did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are our own.
Hi! I'm Jeanne Fratello - a writer, reporter, and food enthusiast who is on a mission to write great stories about food and where your food comes from.
Your recipe doesn’t indicate when to add the flour mixture to the egg/sugar/butter mixture. When do you add it?
Good catch, Samuela! The flour mixture is added after all of the wet ingredients are combined. I’ve corrected the recipe. Thanks!
Hello Jeane. Thank you very much for the Buddha’s hand cookie recipe. I bought that fruit just because it was so beautiful to me … but then it started to rotten and I didnt know what to do with that. I dont drink hard liquor to use some of recipies I found, so i used a lots of ” Tentacles” for my bottled water and keped it overnight in the fridge. It is very refreshing!
But the cookies are amazing! I made it with a little extra butter and added a little more flour. Delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hello Jeane. Thank you very much for the Buddha’s hand cookie recipe. I bought that fruit just because it was so beautiful to me … but then it started to rotten and I didnt know what to do with that. I dont drink hard liquor to use some of recipies I found, so i used a lots of ” Tentacles” for my bottled water and keped it overnight in the fridge. It is very refreshing!
But the cookies are amazing! I made it with a little extra butter and added a little more flour. Delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Fantastic! Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know, Naira!
I made these …so good I used lemon extract instead of vanilla. I also used Citron zest in the powdered sugar..yummy
Great! I’m so glad you tried them! Thanks for stopping by! – Jeanne
We made these throughout the holidays, and everyone raved. As promised, this cookie provides the refreshing antidote to the usual sugar and spice flavor profile. We measured each ingredient exactly as described, with outstanding results. We preferred smaller cookies, baked just past pale golden brown, the crunchier base providing glorious textural contrast.
We also made it in the evening, let the dough sit in fridge overnight; covered with plastic wrap to avoid absorbing any fridge aromas. The overnight dough turned into a roll-and-bake extravaganza the next day. Overnight dough would be perfect for an after-school baking session while transforming your house into Citrus Grove Aromatown.
The recipe could not be easier to assemble, assuming you remember to room temp your butter and eggs. We were inspired to try it because of a Buddha’s Hand sale at our local grocer. What a difference the Citron makes, delightfully bright. Sales or not, this crave-able adaptation will remain on our holiday rotation.
Thanks for this outstanding recipe. The flavor-to-effort ratio is through the roof, as are the wows-from-others!
Wow! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know – and I especially appreciate the dough refrigeration tip. Cheers! Jeanne