X-Files cookies
These cookies made with lime and almonds are a sure-fire hit with children. They enjoy the amusing shape, of course, but also the delicious flavour.
117 K 4.1/5 (17 reviews)
3 hours 35 min.
Easy
10 cookies
8 IngredientsLast modified on: May 27th 2012
For 10 cookies, you will need:
- 1
65 g flour - 2
25 g icing sugar - 3
50 g butter - 4
½ egg - 5
½ pinch fine (or table) salt - 6
½ lime - 7
15 g whole almonds - 8
2.5 drops food colouring - Total weight: 235 grams
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 5 min.
Resting: 2 hours
Cooking: 30 min.
All in all: 3 hours 35 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
Put into a food-precessor bowl: 65 g flour, 25 g icing sugar, 50 g butter cut into small pieces, ½ egg, ½ pinch fine (or table) salt, 2.5 drops food colouring, and the juice and zest of ½ lime.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Knead on slow speed until evenly mixed.
Stage 3 - 5 min.
Tip the dough out onto a sheet of stretch plastic film.
Stage 4 - 2 hours
Fold the film over and press the dough into a flat cake.
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
This cooling time is essential as the dough is very soft at room temperature. The time in the fridge will firm up the dough.
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
This cooling time is essential as the dough is very soft at room temperature. The time in the fridge will firm up the dough.
Stage 5 - 5 min.
After this time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to just under 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick.
Stage 6 - 5 min.
Now comes the tricky momnt: cutting out the "alien" shapes. I used a calisson cutter for the pointed end.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Then I cut the top of the head using a normal round cutter.
But you can cut them out perfectly well with a small knife.
But you can cut them out perfectly well with a small knife.
Stage 8 - 5 min.
Shape the rounded part if necessary by pushing around the edge with your finger.
Stage 9 - 5 min.
Make the eyes with 2 whole almonds, the pointed end towards the centre. Press them lightly into the dough to make them stick.
Stage 10 - 20 min.
Use up all the dough like this, placing the cookies on a baking sheet as you go.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
Stage 11 - 5 min.
Put the offcuts onto a baking heet, shaped or not. Here I've made Star Trek logos (yes, I know, this is an American TV series recipe...).
Stage 12 - 30 min.
Bake for around 30 minutes. Watch carefully for colouring towards the end of the cooking time to keep the lovely green colour. So don't overcook them.
Remarks
Green is the obvious colour to use, but they look good in pink, too (in which case, leave out the lime).
Keeping: Several days in an airtight tin. .
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 10 RDI=5 % | 80 RDI=8 % | 50 RDI=8 % | 850 RDI=40 % | 3,580 RDI: 40 % |
| Per 100 g | 5 RDI=2 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 20 RDI=3 % | 360 RDI=20 % | 1,520 RDI: 20 % |
| Per cookies | 1 RDI=0 % | 8 RDI=1 % | 5 RDI=1 % | 90 RDI=4 % | 360 RDI: 4 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 10 cookies : 0.90 €
- Per cookies : 0.10 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Flour
Like these other recipes: Fish fillet with preserved lemons, Cheese Soufflé, Pistachio shortbread biscuits, Walnut short bread, Shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée), ... See them all 203
Butter
Like these other recipes: Apple and almond gratin, Tomato tatin, Clafoutis "Marie-Antoinette", Tatin apple diplomat tart, Steak burger topped with egg, ... See them all 475
Icing sugar
Like these other recipes: Almond dacquoise, Pistachio madeleines, Mirlitons of Guipavas, Rich hazelnut buttercream, Financier batter, ... See them all 61
Whole almonds
Like these other recipes: Apple Batter Puddings, Rice pudding with fruit and nuts, Praline rochers, Indian rice pudding, Chinese style chicken, ... See them all 23
Other recipes you may also like
Marzipan (almond paste)
Very easy to do if you have a food processor which can slice or grate a lot of things. December 19th 2021640 K 34.5 15 min.
How to cook hard-boiled eggs properly
A hard-boiled egg is properly cooked when: shell is not broken, white and yolk are firm, yolk is only yellow with no traces of green around it. Here are some tips to make this easy. November 4th 20131.38 M 65 1 hour 30 min.
Cooking sugar
Cooking sugar, which is one of the basics of patisserie and sweet-making, is a delicate operation in which sugar is heated from 100°C or 212°F to 180°C or 356°F. Here is some information on this tricky subject. [Translator's note: the terms used below correspond to the French tradition, as often used by English-speaking chefs, but there are other stages and terms in other traditions. Best to use a thermometer, and be guided by temperature, as the English terms commonly used in domestic... April 3rd 2019505 K4.9 45 min.
When to add salt to cooking water?
Is it better to salt cooking water, for vegetables for example, at the beginning when it is cold or when it boils? I always heard that one should salt "after", when water is boiling, because if it is salted "before" it will take longer to boil. True or false? Let's try the experiment... July 25th 2017148 K4 15 min.
Pan-fried potatoes
What could be simpler than fried potatoes? No need of a recipe for that! Quite right, but it's also very easy to end up making fried mash instead. Here are the main pitfalls to avoid. February 3rd 2011307 K4.5 1 hour 40 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-31)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.