1996 3rd place winner: pecan cookies (polvoro

3 Dozen

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup Sugar
½ cup Unsalted butter
½ cup Lard
1 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2¼ cup All-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Anise seed, finely crushed
1 pinch Salt
½ cup Pecans; finely chopped

Directions

The 3rd place winner in the Chicago Tribune's 1996 Annual Holiday Cookie Contest; by Marilyn Cahill of Chicago, Illinois.

1. Heat oven to 350'F. Beat ¾ cup of the sugar, butter and lard in large bowl of electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Beat in flour, cinnamon, anise seed and salt until well mixed. Stir in pecans.

2. Roll walnut-size pieces of dough between palms to make round balls. Put remaining ¼ cup sugar in pie plate; roll dough balls in sugar. Place balls 5 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press each ball with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to about ¼-inch thickness.

3. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 300'F and continue baking until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

Test Kitchen Note: An additional ½ cup butter can be substituted for the lard. Also, you may bake the cookies at a constant 325'F; cooking time should be about the same.

Source: Chicago Tribune, December 4, 1996.

Related recipes