Native American Pueblo Feast Day Cookies Recipe 45

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350º F.
• In a mixing bowl, cream 2/3 cup of sugar and lard.
• Add egg and blend thoroughly.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder, vanilla, and anise seed, blending thoroughly.
• Gradually add milk until a stiff dough is formed.
• Mix in the pinon nuts.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board to 1/2 inch thickness.
• Cut into 2 inch cookies with a cookie cutter.
• Sprinkle the tops with mixture of the remaining sugar and cinnamon.
• Bake the cookies on a well greased baking sheet for about 15 minutes or until golden.
• Cool on a rack.
• Makes 2 dozen two inch cookies.

Steps:

• FOR THE FILLING: In a saucepan, put apricots in cold water & simmer gently until fruit is soft, about 30 minutes, then drain.
• In a food processor or blender, puree the apricots, then return the puree to the saucepan, add the brown sugar & cook until puree is very thick, about 8-10 minutes.
• Remove puree from heat, then add raisins & nuts, & set aside to cool.
• FOR THE DOUGH: While the puree is cooling, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder & salt, then cut in the butter & shortening until pea-size pieces form.
• Add just enough ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make the flour stick together, then shape into a flattened ball, wrap in plastic & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, then cut the flattened ball in half & roll one of the halves out on a GREASED baking sheet.
• Spread the fruit mixture on top, ALMOST to the edge.
• Roll out the second half of the dough large enough to cover the fruit mixture, then place it on top, before pressing the edges together all around to seal.
• In a small container, whisk together the 1/3 cup of sugar & 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, then sprinkle that on top of the prepared pastry. Finally, with the blunt edge of a table knife, mark the pastry into small squares & prick each square with a fork ~ There should be about 30 small squares marked off.
• Bake about 20 minutes, or until pastry is lightly browned, then cool & cut into the marked squares.

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350ºF. In a mixing bowl, cream 2/3 cup of sugar and lard. Add egg and blend thoroughly. Stir in the flour, baking powder, vanilla, and anise seed, blending thoroughly. Gradually add milk until a stiff dough is formed. Mix in the piñon nuts or substitute. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch cookies with a cookie cutter. Sprinkle the tops with mixture of the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Bake the cookies on a well greased baking sheet for about 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.