Kristen’s Democracy Cookies (includes printable recipe!)
By Kristen Harbeson, Political Director
I was asked to share the recipe that I used in the Democracy Kitchen segment of our Voter Registration Couch Party on September 2nd . Here it is! (Check out the downloadable link at the bottom to print)
Democracy Cookies (Adapted from Lil’ Luna’s 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies)
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup softened salted butter
- It may seem like a lot of butter, but can you ever have too much democracy? At latest count, there are 331,314,584 people in the United States, whose lives are shaped by the government we elect. The butter needs to be softened, so be sure to take out your butter well in advance. Think of it like applying for your absentee ballot – it may take some time, so you want to plan.
2/3 Cup sugar
- Elections are sweet, for sure! But it’s important to keep in mind that a lot of work went into making them possible. The sugar has to be harvested, washed, juiced, purified, crystalized, dried, packaged, and shipped before you can use it. There is a brutal history of slavery, revolution, civil rights, and worker protections that is in each spoonful of your vote. Every time we cast our ballot, we are honoring the struggles that gave us our expectation of a free and fair election.
2 Cups flour
- Not the part of any recipe that gets the most attention, but flour is the constitution of the democracy – it is the skeleton that creates the framework for the other ingredients and flavors in your cookie. Bond measures and ballot questions are an important part of elections, where the electorate consents to changes in the kind of cookie you are baking, and whether or not it’s a cookie at all.
1-1/2 tsp extract (to taste)
- You have as many options on how to vote as you do in what you vote for. You are free to choose whichever flavor of candidate you choose – or even use more than one! It’s a personal choice. I like to add both vanilla and orange, or sometimes lemon. You may want to do research into each of the flavors to see which is best for your cookies, since once you’ve cast your ballot you’ll have to wait for the next election to make a new choice.
INSTRUCTIONS — 5 easy steps!
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and make sure you are registered to vote. Mix the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until combined, and make a plan for how you will vote.
- Cover your mixing bowl and chill for 15 minutes to an hour while you research candidates and other election questions.
- Shape the dough into 1-1.5 inch balls as you fill in your ballot with a black pen. Roll the dough-balls in sugar and be sure to sign your name to the affidavit on the envelope.
- Place the balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and be sure to mail your ballot (or use a drop box) before November 3rd.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden on the bottom. In addition to being too hot to eat immediately, the cookies will need to set for 10-15 minutes while the ballots are being counted, so don’t give in to temptation and try to eat your cookies before they’re cooled.