Spanish Cookie Recipes

Every country has at least one national cookie and these Spanish cookie recipes will bring a taste of Spain to your home.

Spanish Cookie Recipes

In the opera Carmen, the title character was a gypsy who worked in a cigarette factory. If she had not made cigarettes, which are bad for you anyway, and had baked some Spanish cookie recipes instead, perhaps the opera would have had a happier ending.

Since almonds grow well in the Mediterranean heat, it's only natural that these cookies use both almonds and almond extract.

Polvorones

Ingredients

• ½ pound of butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup of confectioners' sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• Slivered almonds to top cookies
• ½ cup of sugar for cookie topping
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon for cookie topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the butter, sugar, and confectioners sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer and beat using your paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first egg is completely incorporated before adding the second egg.
4. Once both eggs have been blended into the sugar, add the baking powder.
5. Then add the salt.
6. Then add the flour one cup at a time until completely mixed in.
7. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
8. Turn the mixer back on and add the brandy and almond extract.
9. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until ¼ inch thick.
10. Use a small round cutter to cut out the cookies.
11. Place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with parchment paper.
12. Place a few slivered almonds on top of the cookies
13. Bake for 12 minutes or until light golden brown.
14. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon while they are still warm.

Montecados

Ingredients

• ¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon of vegetable shortening melted
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons of anise extract
• 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon plus one teaspoon of sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 24 blanched almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Using your stand mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Add the melted shortening.
4. Mix on low speed until fully incorporated.
5. Mix in the anise extract and remove from the bowl.
6. Knead on a lightly floured surface for five minutes or until smooth.
7. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls.
8. Place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with parchment paper.
9. Place an almond on each cookie and press them into the cookie.
10. Bake for thirty minutes. These cookies bake low and slow and are not supposed to have any color.
11. Let cool before serving.

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