Best Spanish Shortbread Recipes

SPANISH POLVORONES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour flour onto a cookie sheet.
• Place the flour in the oven and toast it for about 8 minutes, occasionally stirring it so it toasts evenly. Alternatively, place flour in a non-reactive pan on the stove at medium heat and toast for 8 to 10 minutes while stirring. Remove from oven or pan and set aside.
• Place raw almonds on another cookie sheet. Toast the almonds until they change color just slightly, or about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove and place almonds into a food processor. Process almonds until they are finely ground into a flour-like texture.
• Reduce oven temperature to 250 F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla together with a hand or electric whisk.
• Add the flour and finely ground almonds to the butter mixture and incorporate all the ingredients well. The resulting dough will be very crumbly.
• Place a sheet of waxed paper on a cutting board or another flat work surface. Press the dough together to form a ball. Then press the dough onto the waxed paper.
• Carefully flatten it down with a floured rolling pin, into a 1/2-inch uniform thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
• Since the dough is dry and flakey, use a small spatula to carefully move the cookies to the cookie sheet.
• Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes until you see golden brown on the edges. Allow cookies to cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet. They are so delicate that moving them while still hot will break them apart.
• Once cooled, sift powdered sugar over the cookies and serve. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

SPANISH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°F) and grease four cookie sheets.
• Sift flour, and salt into a large bowl.
• Beat the Lard and sugar into a second large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy.
• Add the egg yolks, beating until nicely blended. Then mix in the dry ingredients and lemon zest.
• Stir in the ground almonds and lemon juice until blended well. Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead to form a smooth dough.
• Cover with parchment paper, and roll out the dough about 1cm thick.Remove paper, and using a 6cm cookie cutter, cut out 40 cookies. Use a spatula and transfer to prepared cookie sheets, placing them 2.5cm apart.
• Bake, one batch at a time for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
• Cool on cookie sheets for about 1 minute, and transfer to a cooling rack.
• Cool completely and enjoy!
• Keeps 8 days.

SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with greaseproof (parchment) paper. Sift the flour and rice flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
• Cut butter into pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture begins to bind together. Knead into soft dough.
• Roll the dough into an 8 inch round (or for exact round, mold it in an 8 inch cake pan). Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, prick top and make tine marks along edge. Using a table knife, score top with wedge marks. (This is where it will break when cooled)
• Bake 45 minutes or until pale golden in color. Sprinkle a little superfine sugar over top and cool on baking sheet. Cut into wedges. Keeps for weeks in airtight tin.