When I think of Cinco de Mayo, I think of tequila (hey, just being honest). When I think of tequila, I think of margaritas and shot glasses and salt and limes … but I don't generally think about cookies.
Or I should say I didn't think about tequila and cookies together, but that was before I tried these bad boys. Sugary, citrus-y tequila cookies are the ultimate treat for Cinco de Mayo (or Quatro de Mayo, or Cinco de Junio, or any day of any month-o, as far as I'm concerned).
They're even really easy to make.
Which is muy bueno, because you might end up sampling some ingredients while you bake and a super challenging recipe might not be the best choice.
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
4 teaspoons tequila
Grated zest of 2 limes
Grate zest of half an orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
Granulated sugar for coating
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Directions:
- Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until it is smooth. Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat again until the mixture is smooth and silky.
- Beat in 1 of the egg yolks, followed by the salt, tequila, grated lime zest, and orange zest. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, beating just until it disappears. It is better to under beat than over beat at this point; if the flour isn’t fully incorporated, that’s ok — just blend in whatever remaining flour needs blending with a rubber spatula.
- Turn the dough out onto a counter, gather it into a ball, and divide it in half.
- Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Working on a smooth surface, form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches (2.5 to 3.2 cm) thick. Get the thickness right, and the length you end up with will be fine. Wrap the logs in plastic and chill for 2 hours. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.)
- Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- While the oven is preheating, work on the sugar coating: Whisk the remaining egg yolk in a small bowl until it is smooth and liquid enough to use as a glaze.
- Spread the coating sugar on a piece of wax paper. Remove the logs of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap them, and brush them lightly with a little egg yolk. Roll the logs in the sugar, pressing the sugar gently to get it to stick if necessary, then, using a sharp slender knife, slice each log into cookies about 1/4 inch (7 mm) thick.
- Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) space between them.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are set but not browned. (It’s fine if the yolk-brushed edges brown a smidgen.) Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature.
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