Monday, December 20

Pan de Polvo


For several years now, Sam & I have made a batch of Pan de Polvo cookies every Christmas. His Tita, which is really his Abuela, has made them every year & when we couldn't get down to Kingsville to get a batch from her, we decided it was time to take matters into our own hands!! Because you should never let a Christmas pass without enjoying lots & lots of Pan de Polvo!! Luckily, we have been able to find all the ingredients overseas & make them in the Philippines as well. And, I guarantee you, this is THE BEST Pan de Polve recipe you will ever find! So, please take the time to make them right & enjoy...

5 lbs. flour
3 lbs. shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup anise tea (Boil a packet of anise tea, plus a couple of cinnamon sticks in water, according to the directions on the anise tea package. If you can't find anise tea, use whole star anise.)

Put all shortening in a very large mixing bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Add salt and baking powder; mix well. Add tea and mix well. Then, add flour, about 1/4 at a time and mix well. If it's too hard, add a little of the tea and mix well into the dough. Roll out the dough between two sheets of wax paper to about 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Cut with small cookie cutters. (You don't want large cookies, because they are very delicate & will break easily if they are cut too big.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
anise seed (can get from the tea bags, if needed)
cinnamon
sugar

Grind together to form a powder, adding more or less of each ingredient to your own taste. (You want them to have a distinct anise taste, so don't skimp on that!) Then, dust the warm cookies with this mixture.

There it is! It will make a gazillion cookies, so you will have plenty to give as gifts & share with family! Enjoy!