Spanish Christmas Cookies Recipes

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.

POLVORONES DE LIMON- TRADITIONAL SPANISH CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• How to prepare the flour before baking:
• Preheat oven to 300F/150C. Place the all-purpose flour on a baking tray and dry it in the oven at 300F for 30 minutes. Do the same thing with the almond flour, but keep it in the oven at 300F only for 20 minutes.
• Let the flour cool completely. The flour might look clumpy, but this is how it should be.
• Sift both flours together with the cinnamon and set aside.
• How to make the polvorones cookies:
• Lard or butter should be at room temperature.
• Cream together lard or butter with the powder sugar. You can do it by hand or with a mixer.
• Add the mixture of all-purpose flour and almond flour over the lard and sugar.
• Add the lemon zest and juice.
• Mix until you have a crumbly dough. Do not overmix.
• Place the dough on a floured surface and bring it together into the shape of a ball. Wrap it in plastic foil and refrigerate it for an hour.
• Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
• Cover cookie trays with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough about 0.5inch/1.5cm thick on a lightly floured surface.
• Use a cookie cutter or a round glass(approx. 1.4inch diameter or 3.5 cm)and cut the dough.
• Grab them with a spatula and place them on the cookie tray. Bake at 400F/200C for no more than 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the tray.
• TIP: Do not try to remove the hot cookies from the tray as they are very crumbly. When cool, the cookies keep their shape. Also, do not keep them in the oven for more than 10 minutes. The cookies will dry out and change their texture.
• When the cookies are completely cool, dust them with powder sugar and wrap them in a special paper for polvorones or wax paper cut in 7.4x6.7 inches(19x17cm).
• The polvorones last a long time if kept in dry, cool places. They make great gifts for the holidays.

PANELLETS (CATALAN ALL-SAINTS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a small saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender; drain. Mash the potatoes with a fork. Allow to cool.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly butter a baking sheet.
• Combine the cooled potatoes and almonds. Slowly add the sugar while stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in the lemon zest; continue mixing with your hands. Form the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the pine nuts; brush with egg yolk. Form each ball into a crescent shape. Cover each cookie with cornstarch and then brush with egg white. Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes.