Sitting in the sun, overlooking the beach, I could drink margaritas all day. Unfortunately, or maybe I should say, fortunately, I don’t live in a warm climate or anywhere near a beach. If I did, I’d never get anything done. Whenever I’m looking for a taste of the tropics at home in Paris, I’ll start squeezing limes in my kitchen and I’m immediately transported to paradise (albeit with bills piled up on the counter and the dishes in the sink). Practically obligatory to serve alongside margarita sorbet are salted peanut cookies. They were inspired by the disks of solid peanut paste sold in Mexican markets called mazapan or dulce de cacahuate, which I’ve been known to nibble on with a margarita, or two, south of the border. And above it, as well.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 quart (1 liter) sorbet and about 40 cookies; 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Sorbet
Cookies
Preparation
Step 1
To make the sorbet, in a medium saucepan, bring the water, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, and lime zest to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and let cool completely. Stir in the lime juice, tequila, and orange-flavored liqueur. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Step 2
Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 3
To make the cookies, position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Step 4
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, grind the peanuts with the flour until the peanuts are in small but discernable pieces—not too fine.
Step 5
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, and the brown sugar on medium speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the egg.
Step 6
In a small bowl, mix together the boiling water and baking soda and then mix it into the butter mixture. Add the peanut-flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Step 7
Place heaping teaspoons of the batter in mounds at least 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. (You should be able to fit 8 per sheet.) Rap the pan a few times on the counter to flatten the mounds slightly, then sprinkle each with a very generous pinch of sea salt.
Step 8
Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until the cookies are evenly deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then use a thin metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Repeat to bake the remaining batter.
Step 9
To serve, offer a few scoops of margarita sorbet with a few peanut crisps alongside.
Storage
Step 10
The cookie batter can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month. The crisps can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container.
tip
Step 11
Make sure the lime zest is grated very finely so that its texture is barely noticeable in the sorbet. A rasp-style grater does the trick nicely, but if you don’t own one, mince the zest with a chef’s knife.
