Mantecados Food

POLVORONES: SPANISH CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
• Place the almonds on a baking tray and toast in the oven until they start to go a faint golden color (roughly 8-10 minutes). Reduce the oven temperature to 250F (120C).
• Take the almonds out of the oven and grind into a flour-like texture in a food processor.
• Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine the lard/butter, sugar, and cinnamon with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
• Add the flour and ground almonds to the lard/butter mixture and incorporate into a dough. (The dough will be quite crumbly, but that's okay!).
• Place a sheet of waxed baking paper onto a clean countertop or cutting board. In the mixing bowl, work the dough into the shape of a ball, and then put it on top of the baking paper. Carefully flatten it with a floured rolling pin to a rectangle with about a 1/2-inch thickness.
• Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into circular cookies.
• Move the cookie dough to a greased baking tray/cookie sheet (you might want to use a spatula, as the crumbly dough might break apart in your hands).
• Bake the cookies for 25-30 minutes, until you see the edges start to turn a golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray until you move them, as moving them hot will likely cause them to crumble to dust!
• Serve at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar.

MANTECADOS RECIPE: TRADITIONAL SPANISH SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F

MOROCCAN CINNAMON COOKIES (MANTECADOS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the flour into a large bowl.
• Make a well in the center.
• Add oil, egg, sugar and grated lemon rind.
• Knead the dough.
• Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with some flour.
• Gently form small balls from dough and flatten a little.
• Arrange them on the sheet.
• Let stand for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle the cookies with cinnamon.
• Bake for 20 minutes.