Oh, people. I seem to have gotten obsessed. Again. And, as usual, it all started rather innocently: a tart margarita, a brief foray in Mexico, some beans. Yet here we are four days past vacation’s final curtain and all I can think of is limes and tequila, chili peppers and salt, charred meats and bright colors, and I think we’re in for the long haul.
Since I’ve been back from vacation, I’ve had this real bee in my bonnet, a hankering for a cookie with all of the flavors of a margarita neatly packaged in a safe-for-your-blood-alcohol-level treat. And if a margarita cookie sounds too awful for words to you–as it did to everyone I mentioned it to this week–then consider these things: One, limes contrasted with a buttery crust makes for one of the greatest things in the world: a key lime tart. Two, there’s little surprise that the sharp yet floral flavor orange zest, whether in French toast or candied and dipped and chocolate is one of pastry chefs most beloved muses. Three, what is vanilla extract but a flavor-infused alcohol? What if that flavor was, say, agave instead? And four, if there’s anything this fancy salt trend of the last couple years has taught us is that salt at just the right level is a dessert dream-come-true. It’s curiosity, but also balance. And besides all that–cocktail cookies? I dare you to resist.
After sifting through endless recipes for inspiration, I finally found what I was looking for in Dorie Greenspan’s Lemon Sables, and frankly, I was thrilled because I have yet to make anything of hers that’s been anything short of flawlessly structured and swiftly consumed. Had I actually remembered to bring these babies in to work today, (and not, say, left at home with this small, scampering issue that I really, really don’t want to talk right now but, by the way, was the cause a multi-hour wildly unpleasant cleanup last night, ghuh, and I’m still a little traumatized) I’m sure my unpaid recipe-testers would agree: it actually worked. I replaced the lemon zest with an amplified amount of both lime and orange zest, the vanilla was swapped for 1800 gold and I replaced the regular sugar with the clear sanding variety with a hefty pinch of flaky Maldon salt. Now, we all know how I feel about uppity ingredients, but I can’t imagine this working with anything but a flaky, lightweight salt such as this. (That said, if you like the results you get with table salt, be sure to let us know.)
The cookies are supposed to be one to one-and-one-quarter inch in diameter, and I think my old thumb trick (estimating an inch with the top joint in my thumb) failed me, because these are even more eensy than they’re supposed to be. But otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing. I loved that they kept their green and orange flecks from beginning to end, but even more so that when I opened the oven door, it smelled like margarita. Siiigh.
Up next: margarita chicken. I wasn’t kidding when I called this an obsession.
Hey Look! There’s an over-caffeinated interview interview with dorky old me in which I say “Good Morning, Honolulu!” up at Culinate, a Porland food magazine.
Margarita Cookies
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Sablés au Citron
Makes about 50 cookies
2 sticks (8 ounces; 230 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (70 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons tequila
Grated zest of 2 limes
Grate zest of half an orange
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
Coating:
Approximately 1/2 cup clear sanding or other coarse sugar
2 teaspoons flaky Maldon sea salt*
1. 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 and orange zest. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, beating just until it disappears. It is better to underbeat than overbeat 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.
2. 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.)
3. 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.
4. 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. Mix the coarse sugar and flaky salt well and spread the mixture out 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/salt mixture 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. [Deb note: To get the sugar/salt mixture to stick better, I moved the log over to a piece of plastic wrap, and in the sort of technique you’d see a sushi chef use to shape a roll, use the plastic to press the sugar in by wrapping it tightly.] (You can make the cookies thicker if you’d like; just bake them longer.) Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) space between them.
5. 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.
Keeping: Packed airtight, the cookies will keep for about 5 days at room temperature. Because the sugar coating will melt, these cookies are not suitable for freezing.
* Updated to add that if you should choose to use regular table salt and not Maldon, use less! Much less. Probably half or less. Because Maldon has such volume, the equivalent amount of a finer salt would be much more pungent. Better on the safe side than sorry, right?
Did the salt make them soggy? I know you’ve had mixed results with sprinkling things with salt….
These look and sound delicious!!
Oh, these look cute – I like the green speckles of lime! I’ve been thinking of making mojito ice cream, but should make Margarita cookies instead now :-)
what beautiful photographs. very warm. is that tin for me?
Oooooh, yum!
It’s not possible to have only a temporary obsession with margaritas :) The cookies sound terrific. I hope I have time to make these *and* margarita cupcakes for Cinco de Mayo – I think the cookies would be a HUGE hit!
You should try Nigella Lawson’s recipe for margarita ice cream. It is delicious!
Please, keep obsessing! I think the tiny size of these are perfect as a cocktail cookie. You just take a little handful and your good to go…better than bar nuts, that’s for sure!
I go through the same thing when I come back from Mexico. I can’t stop drinking margaritas and eating fish tacos, ceviche and chips and salsa. Are you going to that Cinco de Mayo BBQ at Amy’s? I say we bring pitchers of Margaritas!
ciao,
Joce
I must make them. Now. Last time you blogged about margaritas, my household consumed a fifth and a half of tequila… Hopefully the cookies won’t make me feel so horrible the next morning. :) Thank you!
What lovely cocktail party cookies! I’ve been thinking about doing something very similar based on the flavors of a gin and tonic. It’s funny which spirits we consider acceptable for baking (so many rum or whiskey doused cakes, a bit of grand marnier in the whipped cream, but seldom a refreshing tequila or gin…).
I don’t know who you talked to that didn’t think these would be the best thing ever, but you would have had my vote of confidence from the beginning! I had a successful run awhile ago when I turned my favorite lemon bars into margarita bars!
http://www.urbanhonking.com/digest/archives/2006/03/margarita_bars.html
I think a margarita cookie sounds great, right up there with rum cake and mimosa molds (i.e. champagne + orange Jello), plus the salt is a great addition. I think Heidi has a margarita cake recipe in her archives that you might have to try.
Okay, first Jocelyn with mango margaritas. Now, you with margarita cookies. I’ve died and gone to heaven. How about you bring the cookies, I make the margaritas? Deal? And, to tempt you more, I’ll let you cook with my 12″ cast iron Le Creuset pan.
FYI – you’ve also got a reader in Tucson, Arizona, where, as we all know, the margarita is king. And I happen to think margarita-flavored cookies are a brilliant, brilliant idea. But I’m waiting for the mojito-flavored cookie.
Those look like the worst cookies ever! I think you should immediately make 6 dozen for the next Skybar party just to prove me wrong.
Yum those look delicious! I definitely know what you mean about getting obsessed with vacation food. When I came back from Cabo with a friend of mine a couple years ago, all I could eat for days were chips and salsa.
An interesting salsa fact… there is something in salsa that keeps you from getting sick from the water in Mexico. When I went, I was in a bitter “why do I have a cold on vacation” mood and chose to drink ALL possible tap water in a week-long self-destructive spree. I was actually the ONLY person in my group of 4 who didn’t get sick from the water (when they hadn’t had any tap water except for accidentally drinking soda with ice one night), because I ate chips and salsa for lunch every single day!
Not really related to this cookie entry… but still sorta interesting.
well, not a bit fan of margaritas, but in cookie form… sounds better. Tonight I made the bulgur salad you posted about a while ago and the white batter bread (for at least the 3rd time, love it). I´ll write up a post about it in the next few days, great recipe recommendations, as usual, thanks!
Oh and you don´t sound dorky at all in the article. And that delurking thing seems like a good idea ;)
I just saw a recipe for margarita cake and was determined to make it in cupcake form for Cinco de Mayo (or earlier if I’m impatient enough). Now I see your cookies and I’m torn…
By the way, I think buttery cookies like yours are best tiny.
I’m so glad that I’m not the only one that can’t let go of a vacation. My husband and I just got back from our Honeymoon in Belize. And I couldn’t get enough beans and ceviche. Upon returning I’ve tried to replicate many dishes that I loved in Belize. Two nights ago, I mastered a Creole Chicken Peanut soup that we loved. Thanks for sharing your story AND obsession. Love the blog!
http://pictures.oriongirl.com/20070402_belize/IMG_0990
http://pictures.oriongirl.com/20070402_belize/IMG_0935
http://pictures.oriongirl.com/20070402_belize/IMG_0936
The lime n orange zest just wins me over in this brilliant obsession of yours.Wow, now we have another excuse to consume tequila !
I love that sables recipe! I’ve altered it a number of times myself, including making two savory versions–one with manchego after a trip to Spain launched a similar obsession in me, and one with parmesan in the cookie and with crushed toasted almonds on the outside. Looking forward to trying your version now….
Do you think that I could perhaps get a job where you work? I can’t do much more than basic recipes so I’ve been living vicariously through your blog (though I did make your mac & cheese and it was awesome!) but I would be more than willing to be an unpaid tester. :)
*sob* Darn you Deb! These are just so cheery and perfect looking I want to make them right now! Sadly I’m on a temporary baking ban (doin’ the low-carb thing for a few months) so they’ll have to wait until summer.
Great… Thanks a lot Deb, I just drooled all over my keyboard!
What sort of people think the idea of Margarita cookies are bad? Margaritas are wonderful, cookies are wonderful therefore a combination is super wonderful. This is really a great idea! I’ve made Margarita ice cream before, it was pretty good (a Nigella Lawson recipe). I’ll have to try this, since you’ve yet to let me down. :)
Ayayay! These have Cinco de Mayo written all over them. Too bad I haven’t planned a party. Sigh.
oh, its the sparkly sugar that just makes it… and i love how these truly are margarita cookies- salt on the outside too!?
If you’re going to have an obsession, it is good that we are all benefitting! I love any type of citrus cookie, especially as the wether gets warm and these little morsels sould incredible!
Thanks!! I have a large Cinco de Mayo Fiesta happening this Saturday and these cookies will be a perfect addition to the menu. They sound so good I’m going to bake a batch right now.
Hi Deb – thse look great! This is the third (!) Dorie Greenspan recipe I have read about today – I have got to get my hands on her cookbooks. Did you know she has her own blog too?
After coveting these since you first posted, I finally made these last night. OH MY GOD they are so good! I didn’t have “sanding sugar,” so I just used regular, and it worked fine. I love how the rich butter flavor is tempered by the salt and the zest (and the tequila). Thanks for sharing your concoctions – don’t stop!
(cue homer drool) I made the cookies tonight.
I didn’t have “sanding sugar” either and I used regular sugar cane sugar.
I also didn’t have the Maldon seasalt, so I grabbed my Jise Cuervo Margarita Salt instead. (yes I love margarita THAT much)
The first batch that I made, I didn’t managed to coat it so well. But the second batch, I reread your directions and realized you did the sushi-chef-saran-wrap trick. I tried that and it worked magically. The second batch is _Definitely_ tastier with the thicker coating.
thank you thank you thank you for sharing your concoction!!!!
Yum. Just…yum.
Thanks for sharing the recipe. It rocks.
I’m making these for my monthly Girls’ Art Day since it’ll be a day after Cinco de Mayo and we’re having Margs of course. Just pulled the first batch out of the oven and tasted one- so delicate and tasty! I couldn’t find Maldon sea salt but I did find this lovely light apricot-colored flaky salt from Australia. Thanks so much for masterminding such a perfect nibbly-bit!
Wow! I made these this weekend for a Cinco de Mayo themed baby shower, and they were a big hit. The only coarse sugar I could find was sugar in the raw, which actually wasn’t too bad. I only had regular sea salt, not the flaky, but that was okay too. Every few bites you’d hit a salt granual, and it really upped the margarita experience. So thanks! I love the blog. :)
What a perfect, delicious, pretty little bite of heaven! I was searching for some sort of margarita bar cookie, but the one that’s like a lemon bar with a pretzel crust just didn’t do it for me. I found your recipe and thought they sounded delicious from the beginning, made them today and they are fantastic! And they smelled so good while they were baking! I don’t know if they’re going to last untiil the party on Sunday (today’s Thursday). Used Sugar in the Raw and a pink flaked salt – perfect!
These cookies are absolutely amazing. My friend’s daughter just made them last night for us and they a delicious combination of sweet and salty. Perfectly done like shortbread, but with the citrusy tang of oranges and limes, they were awesome. She didn’t have any tequila, so used mojito flavored rum. The flavor combination is excellent.
I made these about a month ago and they were worth every bit of effort. I will definitely be making them again!
I live in Honolulu and, yes, you may bring me cookies. Anytime.
i made these cookies yesterday for a little mexican get-together with my girlfriends. they were a huge hit. awesome texture & spot on flavor. i couldnt believe that they tasted just like the real thing. everyone loved that they were rolled in sugar and salt. thanks for a great new fun idea for cookies. will definitely make them again!
After having these bookmarked for a long time, I finally had occasion to make them yesterday and…they’re fantastic! They’re really SO EASY and come together so well. Sometimes I have trouble with shortbread-y type cookies, but these were a total cinch. And the flavor is really light and crispy but tender. I think they taste just like a margarita, but my husband said, “I really really like them. But they don’t taste like a margarita.” *shrug* Any way you cut it, this recipe’s definitely a winner!
For the record, I used regular sugar and table sea salt, using only a smidge more than a teaspoon of the salt, and the ratio was great. Also (maybe because the granules were smaller?) I didn’t have any problem getting the mixture to stick.
made a batch of these to take to a tequila tasting party this weekend. huge hit — the hostess said they were ‘to die for’, and i’m inclined to agree. what a fun, and classy, recipe!
I found these to be a bit more labor intensive than many cookies (grating the zest, chilling and rolling and chilling, figuring out how to coat the rolls with egg and sugar without creating a huge mess), but wow–I’m hooked! The flavors in this cookie are bright and interesting and totally addictive. Note: I used rum since I was out of tequila, and I also used regular sugar and fine sea salt (just under 1 tsp.) since we can’t get the fancy stuff where we live. And while my cookies didn’t come out tasting exactly like margaritas, they were still fantastic!
Oh, and I’m voting for a mojito cookie recipe too. :)
Me again! I’ve made these cookies at least three more times since that first post. Always get rave reviews! I even made them for a cookie swap party and they were voted best. The perfect combination of sweet and tart and just that little tiny bit of salt. . .I’m wondering how I could adapt the recipe to a mojito cookie?
i can’t wait to try these! i’ve made a cheater’s version of margarita cookies before by subbing lime juice for vanilla and tequila and more lime juice for butter in frosted sugar cookie recipes, but these sound too awesomepants to not go in my belly.
i am eating the first batch now. they are divine.
made these cookies, my first recipe from this site, tonight, as a christmas night diversion… i’ve been lurking for a while, but knew i had to break my silence and try these out. they’re good…. not as good as the key lime meltaways, which have been my OMG cookie for a couple years (thanks Martha!) but did the trick in my margarita-obsessed family.
i lovelovelove the soup at Veselka and wish you could publish their (chunky meat) borscht recipe… it’s the best beet soup ever ever ever.
Just a quick note to let you know that this beauties just won me first prize in my office cookie bake-off! Thanks for the recipe and inspiration!
These cookies just did not do it for me. I feel there was way too much zest. The cookies ended up tasting too bitter for my liking.
Just made them last night and they were delicious! I might just put a little more tequila in the next batch though, I couldn’t taste a hint in the ones I’ve baked!
I love these cookies! I’m making them for the second time tomorrow and I love the salt/sugar combination outside. I could find sanding salt, so I just used sugar in the raw. Seems to have worked so far…
I made these last night and OMG I can eat them like chips and salsa – non stop! Thanks for the great idea/recipe.
I made these last week and they had a great flavor – very refreshing, if you can say that abouta cookie – but were really dry. What could I add to make them less so? More butter and/or tequila?
I made these last night and thought they were great, but I guess I was expecting them to be more lime-y. They came out tasting like a really yummy butter cookie with a hint of salt. Maybe next time I’ll dump in the juice from the limes and add more tequila. Or maybe I should just have a margarita on the side and not change a thing. :-)
for some reason this recipe didnt work for me. my cookies ended up flattening out and getting very big? im not sure what i did wrong…i just pulled them out of the oven…so haven’t tasted them yet…
Um………..YUM!!!
Love them. Love them, love them, love them……especially because hubby doesn’t like sweets and he actually likes these becuase they are (in his words) “tart”. I love how the lime and orange stay in cute little flecks even after baking! YAY!
Just made these for a cookie exchange at work – they were a refreshing change from the heavy, chocolate/peanut butter/caramel-laden cookies around the rest of the table – and a big hit (although everyone thought they needed more tequila)! Thanks for the new & interesting ideas!
I made these w/rum, lime and mint leaves, then rolled in turbinado sugar. I call them mojito cookies and they are some of my favorites
i’ve made these several times and they are one of my..pretty much top five cookies. i love making them (maybe because i taste the dough and it’s always delicious). i always double the amount of tequila…
I made these and they were very well received. Based on the comments, I doubled the tequila and also squeezed in about 1 tbsp lime juice to get more lime flavor. With the extra liquid, I had to dust the dough with flour before handling to prevent it from sticking to my hands. The cookies still came out more buttery cookie and less limey than I would have liked, but everyone enjoyed them.
I’m making these RIGHT NOW, and I hope they turn out well, but even if they don’t, I think the wonderful smell they’ve produced in my kitchen to this point may just be worth it. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Tried these today. On the recommendation of a friend, I doubled the lime zest and added the juice of one lemon. I didn’t have an orange to zest, so I added half a teaspoon of triple sec. I didn’t have fancy sea salt, but I figured the texture of kosher salt might work OK. I also had trouble rolling the dough into logs without them becoming a sticky mess, so my cookies were a lot larger. All in all, they’re really tasty, but still not limey enough. I’m wondering if there’s such a thing as lime extract, and if I could use it to boost the lime flavor. I’m willing to keep experimenting, though, as I love lime, love salt, like the idea of this recipe a lot!
(that should read juice of one LIME)
These are excellent. I made a batch today, and for 1/2 of it I used my small cookie scoop, then flattened each ball a little and rolled the outside edge in the bowl of salt/sugar. Baked and delivered to my daughter’s teacher.
The second half I did per the recipe, and there is definitely a nicer, thicker layer of pretty salty sugar on the cookies.
And, by the way, our house smells like heaven. Heaven, I tell you! Mmm…
I made these this past weekend for my brother’s fiance’s braidal shower (it was Mexican themed since they are going on a Mexican cruise for their Honeymoon)…well, these are beyond good. A very unique twist on a classic shortbread. The outside coating makes these cookies so addicting in combination with tender cookie base. I had OVER 20 people at the party ask me to email them the recipe!!!
I made these for a BBQ recently, and they were a HUGE hit. And they’re so easy to make! I’m going to try them crushed as the base for a key-lime pie crust this weekend. I may or may not be drooling at my desk at the moment.
I tried these for the 4th of July gathering, and people raved. I used raw sugar and table salt, and they were still great. I didn’t work hard enough to get them perfectly round, but they still tasted great.
I just made and am bringing these cookies to a Mexican themed housewarming party.
I was hoping the cookie itself would be a little more sweet and/or bright.
Any suggestions on tweaking the recipe to make it sweeter or make the citrus ‘pop’ a little more? Add some lemon zest? Some of the lime juice? Granulated sugar in the recipe instead of confectioners? Thank you!!
PS- This is my new favorite cooking website!! Awesome!
These are my mom’s favorite cookies. She has been begging me to make them for her all summer. I made some today. Yum!
These turned out fantastic! Since I can never just follow the gosh-darned recipe, and I never have the right ingredients, I made some tweaks: (1) doubled the tequila, (2) added orange extract along with the zest, (3) added the juice of the limes along with the zest, (4) added a smidge more sugar and a small handful more flour.
They turned out perfect for me–bright, citrusy, adorable! I am not a creature of subtlety, so more extreme flavors for me. :)
I’m thinking mini ice cream sandwiches made with lemon or lime gelato/sorbet/etc??
hey, pretty mamma,
you wrote
“Now, we all know how I feel about uppity ingredients, but I can imagine this working with anything but a flaky, lightweight salt such as this. (That said, if you like the results you get with table salt, be sure to let us know.)”
shouldn’t it be “but i CAN’T” ?
Indeed. Thanks for noticing!
Hi!
I just found this recipe and HAD to make it RIGHT NOW.
But I don’t have any tequila on hand… So, a variation: mojito cookies.
Replace the tequila with rum, the orange rind with mint and leave out the salt.
These are delicious!
Although, I still need to pick up some tequila so I can try the originals.
In case anyone else doesn’t have flaked sea salt at home–I just made these with kosher salt (same amount as called for) and it was delicious.
I loved these cookies! They were a like a little bite of spring break. A great way to escape winter with a delicious and unique treat.
I found it easier to divide the dough into quarters and then roll them out into the logs. I would also make sure to use large limes to make sure there is enough lime flavor.
Just made the cookies. I followed the recipe exactly…oops, except forgot to do the yolk wash. But they came out perfect. I liked the overall flavor and the sweet/salty topping. I would have liked them a smidgen sweeter, but still wonderful. The texture is excellent, melt-in-your mouth shortbread…yummy.
Next one to try: peanut butter brownies :).
Thanks for all the recipes!
Made these cookies today. Followed the recipe exactly but split the dough into 4ths and then rolled into logs. Much more consistent width. Definitely love the salty taste around the “rim of the cookie”. Thanks!
deb! it’s no longer 2007, but i have a question for you! i’m getting hitched in august (yay!) and we’re having cookies instead of cake. i was going to make alla the dough at the end of july and freeze it, so the day before could be spent baking them, rather than making them, ya know? it sez up there the *cookies* aren’t freezable…is the dough?
thanks so much!
p.s. it’s so weird to read jacob-less posts! i keep waiting for the link that will bring me to the curls and the chub…alas!
No Jacob in 2007! Sigh. The dough is infinitely freeze-able.
oh fail! it’s called reading. WITH YER EYES. disregard my above comment…sorry!
YUM! I made them with rum instead of tequilla and a splash of lime juice… skipped the salt though and just used raw sugar. They were well loved at our circus tailgate party ;-)
I made them AGAIN. The same as last time. These are the perfect summer cookie!
I’ve made these cookies twice. The first time I used a mixture of Alessi fine sea salt mixed with Sugar in the Raw to coat the rolls of dough. The second time I used Maldon salt and Sugar in the Raw–what a difference the Maldon made! These cookies are absolutely beautiful and delicious with a nice, tender crumb. Thanks for developing this perfect little cookie!
I have to admit, they don’t look very good – until you take a bite!
Just tried these, and they are AMAZING. I used some fancy Celtic sea salt from the bulk section at the grocery store and key limes instead of regular limes, but seriously, fantastic. It reminds me of this drink a guy I knew used to make by throwing a bag of sliced key limes, a bag of sugar, and an entire bottle of tequila into a milk jug before shaking it up and pouring it over ice. But anyway, I’ve been tempted to try a Tom Collins cookie with gin and lemon zest. After all, that’s basically a lemon cookie with a hint of juniper!
Made these margarita cookies for a cookie swap and the got rave reviews! To add a bit more decorative color, I combined 1 tBSP each of orange and yellow sugar and 1/2 TBSP of green sugar, then sprinkled @ an 1/8 of a tsp on top of each cookie before baking. It added a hint of the margarita colors :))
I just got back from a tropical vacation that involved a lot of margaritas on the beach, so I baked these to battle my back-to-reality blues.
They’re delicious. A perfect blend of salty and sweet and citrusy. And very pretty with their flecks of orange and green and golden salt/sugar rim.
Plus, I obviously had to use the now peel-less citrus and extra tequila to make an actual margarita to go with them. The things I do for baked goods…
what i think i love most about these is the smell when you open the oven to take them out…it’s like swimming in margarita air. so delicious smelling.
and the taste too :)
I will definitely be trying these on the weekend!!! Fantastic and ohh so original..
Is it possible to put this dough in the fridge for a week before baking (or freeze them), and then just thaw them out a bit before rolling in the sugar salt?
Nevermind! I just reread the post! SORRY!
I finally found Malden salt at Whole Foods so therefore FINALLY made these for the first time yesterday. I doubled the recipe and made well over a 100 bite-sized cookies. I added alittle more tequila and next time may add lime juice and make a lime sugar glaze to add to some of them. Besides feeling like this was kind of a “high maintenance” cookie, I absolutely loved them as did so many at the party. Many wanted the recipe and a few thought they were the best cookie they have ever tasted! I was quite surprised by peoples reactions, but also very happy:) I learned that next time do not over beat, which can happen quicker than you think. I probably should’ve just added more flour at that point, but didn’t, and it made it hard to roll. The funny thing is, when I tasted these last year at a gathering, I didn’t really care for them. So I took a few home and each day, until those few were gone, the taste grew on me until I was hooked! Thank you again for sharing your recipe with the world because in my book it was a hit and I now love them and will continue to make cookies again, regardless of the “high maintenance” work that goes into them:)
This is an outstanding recipe! Last summer when I was pregnant all I could think about in the heat and humidity was a margarita and I made these several times to satisfy my craving. I cannot wait for warm weather to make these again.
I baked these last weekend for a party and while they were very, very popular, no one tasted the tequila (and neither did I). Butter, yes, definitely, but no tequila. Two teaspoons does seem a bit light. How could I up the kick a notch without messing up the final result?
UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS!!!!
Made them just as you directed (with even more peel, because I love lime peel) and they are SO GOOD!!!!!! Buttery…. limey…margarita-eey…
They were very easy to make.
I love the sweet/salty crunch on thee outside. The egg helps the sugar/salt stick really well. Excellent recipe. Y’all, if you make this, you must use the Maldon flake salt, as directed. The finer sale or kosher salt will not work.
YUMMMMMMMMMM
thank you thank you thank you!
I made these while staying at a friends beach house and didn’t have the proper sugar, so I used regular cane sugar. I’m not sure if cane sugar has a lower melting point than coarser sugar, but a lot of the sugar melted around the cookies. They still tasted wonderful, but just a heads up!
I plan to make these cookies but I can’t find clear sanding sugar only colored or white. Will the white sanding sugar work as well? I would think so but thought I would ask the expert.
Thank you. Can’t wait to make and taste these.
Carol
It should be just fine. I’ve actually never seen white sanding sugar before — it sounds neat. But the sugar is really just for texture and pretties, so whatever you use will be fine.
I made them with the white sanding sugar. They were fantastic. I took them to my nieces wedding this weekend and they were a hit among the guests. Definitely a keeper recipe. I knew I could trust you.
I made these cookies for a beach weekend with friends. After an afternoon spent in the sun, they were the group go-to snack for replenishment. I recommend (more tequila could probably be added, too. just sayin…)!
Just made these for the first time, I shouldn’t have waited but I’m not a huge fan of lime. They were amazing. Not too limey but the perfect accompaniment to tequila shots with family and friends. they were gone way to quickly and i should have tripled the recipe.
Made a half recipe of these on a baking spree this Christmas. I had been wanting to try them for awhile but wasn’t sure how they’d turn out without the tequila. I used vanilla instead and rolled them in large crystals of sparkling sugar with a pinch or two of table salt and they were awesome! Had the natural flavor of lime with the richness of shortbread and crunch of sugar with that sweet/salty balance that is so delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I will be making these again!
Not sure about the salt, but the idea of margarita cookies sounded fine to me.
What kind of friends do you have that they can’t imagine these? I’ll have to make a batch with and without salt and see which I like better.
Deb, I could only find white sanding sugar and not clear but from your photos I think it’s the same thing. A pile of it looks white but the individual crystals appear clear. The dough is in the fridge now waiting to be rolled in sugar/salt. Can’t wait to taste them!
Do you think this dough can be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters? Then glaze with egg yolk and press in salt/sugar…
I think so!
the best
Delicious! The friends I shred them with raved.
To my taste, I’d like a stronger citrus taste. I think I will double the amount of zest the next time I make these.
These are delightful! I am not keen on oranges, so I used the zest of 1/3 of an orange. I was running low on time, so to speed the firming process along, I popped these in the freezer for 20-30 minutes, then moved them to the fridge before baking. They are are a nice little cookie, crunchy on the sugar/salt edges. I ended up having a little bit of extra sugar/salt mixture, so I sprinkled it on top of some of the cookies which turned out nicely. Deb, you always have great recipes. Thank you for yet another I can add to my repertoire!
Just made these and they are a dream. I chose limes and orange by their smell and colour in the grocery store. Just unwrapping the raw dough the scent was heavenly. I may make a few tweaks to the recipe in the future and then again not. My daughter, whose first foray into alcohol was way too much candy floss flavoured vodka at the age of 15 (noooo, we don’t market to the underage, NOT!), and was sick as a dog for 3 days and was convinced she had alcohol poisoning but was too afraid to tell me, and has vowed to put off alcohol for…well, until some friend talks her into it again, even liked them. So, no, the tequila is not overpowering. My older daughter thinks they need MORE TEQUILA!
Delicious! And the texture is amazing. I did make some adjustments. I added about 3 tsp lime juice, plus about 5 grams more flour and about 10 grams more sugar (to counteract the tartness).
These look like a great project while we’re all stuck at home! Do you have any recommendations for how to store if I wanted to mail to friends?
Are any tweaks needed for high altitude baking?
I don’t have any personally tested high-altitude baking tips, but understand the ones on King Arthur’s site are great.
I want to make these and freeze the log for a cookie dough swap with a friend. Would you recommend following the recipe as-is and just not baking them, or would it be best to leave off the yolk glaze and sugar and have the baker do that?
It’s best to put it on before baking.
Hi! Could these work with a cookie mold? I saw some pretty lovely intricate wood molds online and am in search of a recipe for them. Thanks!
Any thoughts on subbing mezcal doe the tequila? I can’t decided if it would add depth/interest or overpower and be great.
(LOVE these as written – just out of tequila at the moment 😃)
It would be totally fine here.
Tasty sugared lime cookie, but I don’t think I’ll make them again. Too much effort for not enough wow, and I couldn’t taste the tequila at all.
I have been making these since you first shared the recipe and absolutely love them. They are requested by friends who also love them. Sometimes I change the sugar color for the season or occasion. I love the ease of them, slicing, baking and two sheets are done!
Just made these- oh the smell in my kitchen! Could hardly wait for them to cool to taste and they are divine!
I questioned my husband when he insisted we make these for Christmas however they turned out to be the best cookies I ever baked. I’m making another batch as we have inhaled the first.
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes of yours. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser whenever I make them. :)