>>> 30 or so years ago I had some cookies that were a shortbread type
>>> cookie- and happened to be shaped like little 'S's.
>>> The texture was along the line of a Russian Teacake. I think there
>>> were finely chopped walnuts or pecans--- they were dusted with sugar..
..
..
..
>>>
>>> I asked about the cookies & she said lamb fat was the 'secret'
>>> ingredient.

I made some cookies from the Scharffen-Berger cookbook recently that
included lard. They're called "Polvorones". They had an intriguing
texture, though not much flavor. I don't have the cookbook with me,
otherwise I'd post the recipe. But I found this one on the web:

Title: 1996 3rd Place Winner Pecan Cookies (Polvorones)
Yield: 3
Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar
1/2 cups Unsalted Butter
1/2 cups Lard
1 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons Anise seed, finely crushed
1 pinch Salt
1/2 cups Pecans; finely chopped


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 3/4 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 1/4 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 1/4-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 1/2 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.
Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V3 #339

From: Linda Place


Jeneen