(My) Cookies

[Chocolatl]

Yea, I think it qualifies as a shortbread. The wine specified by my grandmother was Domecq Viña 25, which is a mahogany-colored, syrupy sherry with notes of nuts, raisins, molasses, and toast. I'm using a sweet marsala that had very similar tasting notes.

The recipe is actually very simple. Here it is, should anyone care to make these.

Abuela Catalina's Pastisettes
(Makes a gazillion cookies.)

Mix 12 egg yolks with 1.5 lbs sugar. Add in 1.5 lbs lard or shortening. Mix well until lumps are gone. Gradually mix in 3 lbs of flour, then about 1/3 cup of the wine. Knead until it forms a dough. (I've been adding a bit more wine when the dough gets too crumbly. Should be similar in consistency to a pie crust.)

Roll a chunk of dough out about 1/8" thick. Use a cookie cutter or a cup to cut circles. Dab a little bit of fruit preserves -- strawberry and apricot are my faves -- on to the middle of half your circles. Use a thimble (or anything similar in size) to cut holes in the other half of the circles. Lay these on top of the jammed circles, press the edges, and re-cut with the cup to seal.

Bake in a 300F oven in the middle rack for 12-15 minutes per batch. Allow to cool completely on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and enjoy!

[orthodoc]

Thank you for the recipe! It sounds delicious - can butter be used in place of lard or shortening, do you know? Maybe not if this is your first time making them ...

I'll give it a try during the holidays.

[Chocolatl]

I'm not sure, but I don't think so. I imagine there'd be texture issues.

[Lola Bunny]

Someone told me recently that he replaces all shortening or oleo in cookie recipes with butter. He said shortening makes the cookie crunchier. He just likes butter better.

[Chocolatl]

http://www.differencebetween.net/obj...ng-and-butter/

They mention you can usually substitute shortening with butter, but not the other way around. The butter would melt faster, though, so I don't know if the cookies would hold their shapes.

[orthodoc]

Yes, there's definitely a texture and baking difference in some items - I guess I'd have to try a small fractional recipe and see if it worked. Or use lard. I don't like to use hydrogenated fats, that's all. Did you use lard or shortening in your cookies today? Some people swear by lard for pie crusts; I used to use shortening and then switched to butter.

[Chocolatl]

I used shortening today. My grandmother recommended lard, but I was baking for vegetarian neighbors and so wanted to avoid making cookies that were 20% animal fat!

[Lola Bunny]

Chocolat: Just read your recipe. Does sound like it'll make gazillion cookies! I just found this recipe for peppernuts. This man who giave it to me said it was passed down in his family. I really want to try it but couldn't find citron and small package of clove yesterday. I'll put up my recipes later. I've narrowed down to 3 types of cookies for Xmas gifts.

Ortho: Rather than lard, use shortening. Still unhealthy though.

[Undertoad]

Happy tears in my eyes as I'm making my great-grandmother's famous Christmas cookies today

That's awesome. There's nothing so special as a recipe passed down.

[Lola Bunny]

Christmas cookies! Yes, they're actually called Christmas cookies, hehe. They're supposed to taste like fruit cake cookies. Someone once gave me some and I thought it was good. Sadly, these don't taste like it. I'm a bit disappointed but the teachers will just have to eat them, hehe. Gonna take a break, put these into a jar. I'm baking two more types tomorrow then off they go on Thursday!

[Lola Bunny]

A forest of Christmas trees...


A mountain of cookies...


Cupcakes when pressed for time (minimal decors)

[Lola Bunny]

By the way, someone tasted the "Christmas Cookies," and she thought they were good.

[orthodoc]

Wow, that is one massive amount of beautiful Christmas baking! It looks delicious - you know it will all disappear in a flash.

[Chocolatl]

Yum! What lucky people were the cookies going to, Lola?

[Lola Bunny]

Two tiring days, and that's with my sister's help. Oh yeah, my mom helped me chop the ingredients in the "Christmas cookies." She must've have felt sorry for me because I was taking forever to chop the candies. I ate one or two of each types and that was enough. I made these for my nephew's teachers and staff at the school. I remember having only 1 teacher when I was in elementary school. My nephew has one main teacher, 2 music teachers, 2 P.E. teachers and an assistant, and an art teacher. This year, he also an small group reading teacher. I also give to the principal, assistant principals, counselor, librarian, nurse, and a big box for the front office. I'm always harrassing the receptionists and there are these 3 ladies who help the children get off the car when parents drop them off in the morning. I feel that teachers get gifts from students, but the staff has no one to show them appreciation. Anyways, yeah, that's why I always make so much cookies. The teachers at first would thank my nephew's parents (hehe...meaning my brother and his wife). But now, by the third year, they know it's me who make the cookies so they thank me. This one teacher would tell me they're yummy and stuff and that makes me happy. I don't mind being tired a few days in a year when it's appreciated. Well, I make cookies for teacher appreciation week too. This year, I made a total of 17 boxes of cookies. The cookies you see is just enough for 17 boxes of cookies. I would've liked to fill more but ran out of time, and energy, to make more cookies.