Pan De Polvo

After searching for days I could not find a single recipe that made pan de polvo. A cookie that melts like dust(polvo) in your mouth. Only really tasty! I did find tons of recipes for a Mexican wedding cookie, which might be similar, but it's NOT the same thing! So I decided I would share my recipe.

Warning!!! These cookies are really not good for you. And they are totally addicting! The recipe makes a LOT and don't let their size fool you. These bite size cookies are too good to eat just one. I find myself sneaking in the kitchen to eat one, or two or three, all day long. And before you know it, I've eaten them all!

What you need...
Shortening
Flour
Salt
Ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon Sticks
Anise
Water
Sugar and Cinnamon mixture


First make a tea with the cinnamon sticks and anise seeds. What I do is put two sticks of cinnamon crushed up in about 1 and 1/4 cup of water and add about a teaspoon full of anise. Boil that for a little while to make a tea. I boil mine slowly then let it sit for a while to let the cinnamon flavor come out more. Once it's completely cool in the pan strain out all the cinnamon and anise and place in the fridge to get cold. You want the tea to be very cold for the recipe! It just works better, trust me on this one.

Sift the flour, salt and ground cinnamon into a large bowl. I use a wire whisk to mix it all upand evenly distribute the salt and cinnamon. I have no idea if this is actually necessary, but that's what I do. lol

Measure out your shortening and place into the bowl. This is the messy part... Use your hand to mix it all together really well.

Then add the cinnamon tea to the dough and use your hand to mix it up really well.

The next part is up to you! You can roll out the dough and use little tiny cookie cutters to make shapes. You can just make little balls and flatten them on the cookie sheet. You can use a cookie press... What ever you choose, it will all work out in the end. I like to roll it out and use the little cookie cutters. I love the way they look better. lol And you can make them to suit the season or holiday. Although, these are mostly eaten around the Christmas holidays around here.

Place the shapes(or what ever) on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes. Time may vary. You want the cookie to be barely even turning brown on the bottom. If you over cook them they kind of taste burned with out looking burned.

As soon as they come out of the oven toss them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and coat them well. Then set them out to cool completely before storing. As good as these cookies are, they taste way better when they have cooled completely. Even better the next day!


Ingredients
6 cups of flour
2 and 2/3 cups of vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon of salt
1 table spoon of cinnamon
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 teaspoon anise seeds
1 and 1/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups water
Cinnamon and sugar mixture(to desired taste)
*I like a lot of cinnamon in mine that's why I added cinnamon to the dough.