There is something irresistible about a glazed sugar cookie, as I think they are a part of so many childhood memories. This is my mother’s sugar cookie recipe, she would do a batch every holiday and would either glaze them or press two together with a dried fruit filling. This is a new twist on the glaze though, the vibrant pink color comes naturally from the hibiscus tea which also gives the glaze a floral tart flavor and the key lime adds to that flavor beautifully.
Makes 3 dozen 2" cookies
Sugar Cookies
Sift together:
1 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Cream together with a hand-held mixer:
½ cup vegetable shortening (use organic such as Spectrum which is non hydrogenated)
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon whole milk
Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside
Cream together the wet ingredients until the shortening is well incorporated
With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until it is just incorporated
Scrape the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and pat into a disk. The dough will be soft and sticky. Wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours or until well chilled and firm
On a floured board roll out the disk of dough to about ⅛” thickness
With a cookie cutter, press into the dough and use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a lined baking sheet. Gather and reroll the scraps
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5-7 minutes and watch carefully as they brown quickly - they are done when the edges are lightly browned
Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely
Hibiscus Key Lime Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons hibiscus tea (½ cup boiling water, 1 hibiscus tea bag)
2 tablespoons key lime juice
Combine the boiling water and the hibiscus tea bag and allow to cool to room temperature
Squeeze the key limes until you get 2 tablespoons (about 3) or use one regular lime.
Combine the glaze ingredients and stir until smooth (there will be leftover tea)
With a fork, drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies
Let the glaze harden a bit before serving
Tip:
I use chopsticks on either side of the dough along with my tapered rolling to achieve a consistent thickness in the dough - when the rolling pin runs along the chopsticks I know I have about ⅛” thickness