Years ago, a friend of mine at work had a desk calendar listing the Canadian, American, and Mexican national holidays.  One day, he was scheduling appointments and said, “Hey Dave, did you know Benito Juarez’s birthday is coming up?”  Why no, I did not.  I did not even know who Benito Juarez was (by the way, he is known as the “Abraham Lincoln of Mexico.”  Way to go, Benito.).  It did however sound like a great excuse to go eat some Mexican food over lunch.  This marked my first celebration of Benito Juarez’s birthday.

 If only Benito’s birthday were every day.

Flash forward to today.  To honor Benito’s birthday, which is tomorrow (Monday, March 16), I looked for a fitting Mexican cookie recipe.  I had previously baked Mexican Wedding Cookies and Mexican Anise Cookies, so I wanted something different.  Amazingly, typing “tequila cookie recipe” into Google produced a real winner, “Margarita Cookies.”  Benito would have been proud.

 

MARGARITA COOKIES

“These refrigerator cookies are a true delight.  Crisp with a refreshing lime taste, Margarita Cookies will help you celebrate Benito Juarez’s birthday in flavorful style.  Enjoy.”

Cookie Ingredients

¾ cup Butter

1 cup Sugar

8 drops Green Food Coloring

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon Lime Zest

1 teaspoon Orange Extract

2 cups Flour

¼ teaspoon Salt

½ cup Turbinado Sugar

½ teaspoon Margarita Salt (the type sold in the store to put around the top rim of your margarita glass)

 

Drizzle Ingredients

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 Tablespoon Water

1 Tablespoon Tequila (preferably taken from an old long forgotten bottle in your basement)

 

Drink one shot of tequila and suddenly remember why you never drink straight tequila.

Cream the butter and sugar.

Mix in the green food coloring, egg, lime zest, and orange extract.

Mix in the flour and salt.

Form dough into two 9-inch long logs and wrap in wax paper.

Refrigerate for one hour.

Combine the Turbinado sugar and margarita salt.

Roll each chilled log of dough in the sugar/salt mixture.

Set aside the remaining sugar/salt mixture.

Cut the log into ¼ inch thick slices.

Place dough slices on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake for 14 minutes or until lightly browned on the cookie bottoms.

Cool completely on wire racks.

Stir together the powdered sugar, water, and tequila.

Drizzle over cookies.

Sprinkle tops with remaining sugar/salt mixture.

 

Makes about 45 cookies.

 

Revised Source:  “Margarita Cookies” recipe on www.lovefromtheoven.com, which was adapted from McCormick’s “Sugar Rimmed Margarita Cookies.”