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You Asked for It

When life gives you lime juice and limas

By ELLEN FOLKMAN
Published December 7, 2005

Nancy Eggert fulfills a few recipe requests. First, she has two recipes for Lyn Wood who found herself with an abundance of key lime juice. Lime Fizz and Lime Zingers can both be made with key lime or lime juice. The last recipe Nancy shares is Apricot Drop Cookies for Y. Low.

Baked Lima Beans was the dish Lance Dunham wanted. Becky De Lany and Eadie Nieman share two very different recipes. Becky's recipe starts with canned beans and includes tomato sauce, while Eadie's starts with dry beans and uses dry mustard. Becky's grandmother arranged bacon strips on top and sprinkled a little brown sugar over them. Hopefully, one of them satisfies Lance's request.

For: Lyn Wood of Crystal Beach

From: Nancy Eggert of Dunedin

Recipe: Lime Fizz

1/2 cup key lime juice

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups water

2 7-ounce bottles carbonated water

Mint sprigs for garnish

Combine lime juice, water and sugar in a pitcher. Add ice to glasses. Pour about 1/2 cup lime mixture into glass. Fill with carbonated water. Garnish with mint sprig.

For: Lyn Wood of Crystal Beach

From: Nancy Eggert of Dunedin

Recipe: Lime Zingers

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons finely shredded lime zest

1/4 cup key lime juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

21/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup finely chopped Brazil nuts or hazelnuts

Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 tablespoon key lime juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Food coloring

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar until combined. Beat in lime peel, 1/4 cup lime juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in nuts. Divide dough in half.

On a slightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

To make frosting, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, lime juice and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Tint frosting as desired with food coloring. Frost cooled cookies.

Yield: 72 cookies.

For: Y. Low of Dunedin

From: Nancy Eggert of Dunedin

Recipe: Apricot Drops

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

11/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup (5 ounces) diced, dried apricot halves

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup to 1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg and vanilla. Add oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt. Mix well until blended. Stir in apricots and walnuts. Refrigerate until firm, roll into balls, then roll in coconut. Put on ungreased baking sheets and bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly, then remove from pan.

Yield: 2 to 3 dozen depending on size.

For: Lance Dunham of Floral City

From: Becky De Lany of St. Petersburg

Recipe: Aunt Wyn's Baked Lima Beans.

4 cans large butter beans (lima), draining 3 of the 4 cans

1 cup brown sugar

1 large onion, diced

1 14-ounce can tomato sauce

6 strips crumbled, cooked bacon (reserve drippings)

3 tablespoons bacon drippings

1 tablespoon molasses, optional

Combine all in a casserole dish and bake at 250 degrees for five to seven hours, covered. Take lid off for last hour.

For: Lance Dunham of Floral City

From: Eadie Nieman of Gulfport

Recipe: Baked Lima Beans

3 cups dried lima beans

2 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

4 slices bacon

Soak lima beans overnight. Drain. Cook in fresh water until tender. Drain, reserve bean liquid. Place limas in a greased casserole. Combine molasses, brown sugar, salt and mustard. Add liquid from beans to make 1 cup or a little more. Pour over limas. Arrange bacon slices over top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Uncover to brown.

Margaret Carter and Geraldine Enderle would both like a recipe for homemade Kahlua or coffee liqueur. Joanne Willis is looking for a recipe for apple, sweet potato and pumpkin bisque. She recently had it at the cafe at the botanical gardens in St. Louis. Marie Kelly wants the recipe for Saffron's jerk chicken. Helen Cheshire would like a recipe for Chinese fortune cookie dough.

You Asked for It is a reader mail column. Send recipe requests to You Asked for It, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to youaskedforit@knology.net Please put "Recipe request" in the subject line. Recipes will be received by mail only. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.

[Last modified December 6, 2005, 10:06:06]