When Roe v. Wade was overturned in the US earlier this summer, Bakers Against Racism activated once again to raise money to protect reproductive rights. I knew right away I wanted to participate, because while abortion is legal in Canada, there are so many barriers in place that prevent equitable access. I wanted to raise money for a local emergency fund, that helps people who need an abortion pay for travel, medication and related expenses.
Procrastination got the best of me though, and I had a hard time getting motivated to spend hours in the kitchen with the oven on in the peak of summer. Well, better late than never, and I finally launched my bake sale last week. Because I still firmly believe that September is a summer month (the first half anyway), I declared this box a pumpkin spice-free-zone and went with a “Summer’s Not Over” theme with the following treats:
I loved EVERYTHING in this box! I’m sharing the Margarita Shortbread Cookies here because they really surprised me. I don’t normally love citrus in dessert, but like these Margarita Cupcakes from a few years ago, they are so delicious. They’re a simple slice and bake shortbread, but amped up with tequila, lime zest and orange zest. They get rolled in a crunchy sugar crust and sprinkled with flaky sea salt to finish. Next time, I would mix the flaky sea salt in with the sugar for the crust (which is what the original recipe calls for, but I was worried it would be too salty). Will definitely be making these again!
Margarita Shortbread Cookies
Source: Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup icing sugar
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp tequila
- 1/4 tsp salt
- zest of 2 limes
- zest of 1/2 an orange
- 2 cups flour
- egg wash, clear sanding sugar + flaky sea salt for finishing
Directions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the icing sugar and beat again until combined.
- Add the egg yolk, tequila, salt, lime zest and orange zest and mix again until combined.
- Add the flour and mix until just combined.
- Gather the dough into two balls, and place each onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into logs about 1 1/2″ in diameter and wrap in the plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare the egg wash by whisking 1 egg with a splash of water. Use a pastry brush to coat the outside of the dough logs in the egg wash. Roll the logs in clear sanding sugar.
- Slice the logs into cookies about 1/4″ thick, and place on the cookie sheets. Sprinkle each with a little bit of flaky sea salt.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. Let cool completely.
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