Corona-Virus Sugar Cookies #ScienceSundays

Afraid of Coronavirus? Let me tell you a little bit about it while you enjoy a sugar cookie made with Corona and lime.

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THIS POST WAS LAST UPDATED ON 12/29/20 – PLEASE CONSULT THE CDC FOR UP TO DATE INFO

When planning this #ScienceSundays post, I originally intended to write something similar to my last one about olive oil, except about honey. But then COVID-19 aka Coronavirus arrived and friends started asking me questions about it. I would like to preface this by saying I am not an expert on viruses (I work on bacteria which are very different) but I do know enough to ask the right people or look in the right places for gaps in my knowledge. The CDC being my primary on this topic.

Coronavirus – it’s the pandemic you’ve all heard about on the news lately. There have been over 19.4 million cases in the US to date (12/29/20) [1] and over 81.9 million worldwide causing social and economic disruption [2]. I know this can be frightening, and while I urge you not to panic, there are definitely reasons for precaution. While it has less reported infections and deaths than this season’s regular flu [3], as of 3/5/20 the fatality rate for coronavirus was 3.4% [3.1] compared to <1% for the flu [3.2].

As of 12/29/20 the fatality rate for COVID-19 was 1.7% in the US but is much higher in older age groups and other countries such as Mexico, Italy, and the UK [3.4]. Even at the rate that is it in the US overall, the daily deaths are equivalent to the September 11th attacks happening every day [3.5].

The best thing to do right now is to be diligent about limiting its spread, especially to those who are immunocompromised/chronically ill/elderly and already at higher risk of infection. In fact if you fall into that latter category the CDC urgently recommends you to stock up and stay home [3.3].

Similar to the virus that causes the flu, it can spread person-to-person up to 6 feet apart and also possible to contract from infected surfaces. Therefore stick to the basics you should follow every flu season: wash your hands, don’t touch your face, cover you mouth when you sneeze or cough (preferably with a tissue that is disposed of), clean frequently touched surfaces, limit large social gatherings, wear a mask when in public, and stay at home if possible – especially if you’re sick [4]. Don’t go to work, don’t send your sick kids to school, don’t hang out with friends/family, don’t run errands – STAY HOME.

But staying at home isn’t as simple as that for some, especially here in the US. Due to notoriously having little or no sick time it is difficult for people to stay home without receiving pay, particularly for certain socioeconomic groups [5]. Our workplace culture puts everyone’s health at unnecessary risk. So if you notice someone at work sneezing or coughing, try to keep your distance and do not touch anything they have come into contact with (granted you both should be wearing a mask regardless). Thankfully now many businesses, if able, have their employees working from home in an effort to flatten the curve (please check this post for more on that).

Please don’t listen to internet suggests to drink bleach (you’ll definitely get sick) or eat roasted garlic (although tasty) to prevent/treat illness. Unfortunately there was no vaccine available at first as they take time to make. I promise scientists would have one ready if it were possible (see an update about the vaccine HERE). Instead, remain calm, and enjoy these Corona-virus cookies made with concentrated Corona beer (which comically sales for it have gone down), hence the hyphenated name. Complete with pretzel protein spikes and lime glaze single stranded RNA.

Three years ago: “Great Butterscotch!” Boozy Milkshakes

Seven years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownie Mousse Pie

Eight years ago: Pizza Swirls

Nine years ago: Caramelized Honey Dijon Chicken Wrap

CORONA-VIRUS SUGAR COOKIES

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Yield: 2-1/2 dozen Prep Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

COOKIES

• 2 (12 oz.) bottles of Corona beer (pale lager)*
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/2 of a lime, zested
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Pretzel sticks, broken into thirds

ICING

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 of a lime, zested (reserved from dough)
• 1 lime, juiced (from the zested halves)

Directions

1. Pour beer and brown sugar into a medium pot and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. For approximately 30 minutes, let it reduce down to a syrup (about 2 tablespoons*), keeping a close eye on it towards the end to make sure it doesn't get too thick.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, reduced beer, and lime zest until just combined. Slowly beat in flour, baking powder, and salt until it comes together into a dough.
3. Shape dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. When ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
5. On a clean, floured surface, roll out one of the discs of dough to a little less than ¼-inch thick*. Cut with round cookie cutter and place on prepare cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Re-roll scraps and remaining dough to make more cut outs. Stick pretzel pieces into the dough around the edges.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until set but not yet turning golden on the bottom edges. Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. While the cookies cool, make the icing. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until pasty. For a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. For thinner icing add more lime juice. Decorate cooled cookies with icing and allow to firm before stacking or storing.

Notes

* Don't want to use beer? You can substitute the beer+sugar reduction with 2 Tbsp honey/syrup.

References:

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html

[2] https://www.livescience.com/new-china-coronavirus-faq.html

[3] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu

[3.1] https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd

[3.2] https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm

[3.3] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/09/many-americans-will-be-exposed-to-coronavirus-through-2021-cdc-says.html

[3.4] https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

[3.5] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2774465

[4] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

[5] https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/02/coronavirus-could-hit-american-workers-especially-hard/607213/

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