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.