Do you want to prepare some Christmas shortbread? Discover these 3 delicious recipes with which you will learn to make traditional Christmas shortbread.
If there is a typical Christmas recipe, that is the mantecados. Nothing better to enjoy such dates with homemade shortbread, made by hand and with 100% natural ingredients. A true delight.
And it is that if we must talk to you about a traditional dessert where they exist, which also stands out for being one of the most popular during Christmas, those are the delicious and classic mantecados.
What is shortbread?
The mantecado is characterized by being a traditional and very typical sweet in Spanish confectionery. Although today there are some variants (such as the case of vegan shortbread), the truth is that the traditional shortbread is one that is made from lard, which is kneaded with other ingredients, usually flour wheat and unroasted almonds.
Although it is common to consume it at any time of the year, the mantecado is also a typical Christmas dessert, which is consumed together with other similar or similar Christmas sweets, such as the wine donuts, the Polvorones or the alfajores.
What is your story?
Its origin must be found around the 16th century, a time when there was a surplus of both cereals and pigs, and it became necessary to think about what to do with such a surplus. That was how, always theoretically, pork ice cream and other similar desserts were born.
Regarding the place where he was born, there is no doubt that it was in Andalusia. However, its origin is disputed by two cities: Estepa and Antequera. But it seems that it was in this last city where he was apparently born. In fact, in the plenary hall of the town hall it is possible to find an ancient fresco with a clear reference to the mantecados that were made there.
3 delicious Christmas shortbread recipes
Stay with these recipes to succeed during the Christmas holidays.
Cocoa butter for Christmas
Ingredients
- 300 grams of lard
- 200 grams of wheat flour
- 200 grams of sugar
- 30 grams of cocoa powder to taste
Step by step recipe
- First, spread the flour on the oven tray. It must be very well distributed over the surface, without leaving any empty space.
- The tray is placed in the oven to bake the flour. The ideal is to remove the tray every 10 minutes to remove it.
- Once the time has passed, the tray is removed from the oven and allowed to cool completely. Meanwhile, in a glass bowl, place the sugar and cocoa. When the flour cools, it is added to this same bowl.
- In the glass bowl, add the lard and mix all the ingredients well. More or less the kneading time is five minutes. It should be like a ball.
- The ball of dough is placed on a flat surface, such as the countertop or table, and with a rolling pin or with your hands; it is flattened until it is about 2 or 3 centimeters thick.
- Then, with a mold, figures are formed.
- The figures are placed on the oven tray lined with parchment paper and placed in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Once the time has elapsed, it is removed and allowed to cool completely.
Almond Christmas cupcakes
Ingredients
- 300 grams of lard
- 300 grams of ground almonds
- 400 grams of white flour
- 250 grams of sugar
Step by step recipe
- All ingredients are placed in a glass bowl. First, lard is added at room temperature. Next, add the sugar and butter. All the ingredients are mixed well; it can be done with a spatula or with your hands.
- Then, the flour is added and a kind of ball is formed; all the ingredients must be well mixed with each other, forming a homogeneous paste.
- The dough is spread with the roller on the table and figures begin to be cut. In the market you can find molds of Christmas figures, such as bells or stars.
- Each one of the figures is placed on the oven tray with parchment paper.
- They are placed in the oven and left to bake until they are golden brown; approximately 15 minutes.
- Once they are removed from the oven, let them cool down and add a little cinnamon and sugar.
Homemade shortbread
Ingredients
- 250 grams of flour
- 150 grams of sugar
- 200 grams of lard
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
Step by step recipe
- First, the butter is mixed with the sugar and both ingredients are mixed well. Then the cinnamon is added.
- Spread the flour on the oven tray and bake for a few minutes to dry, but without getting toasted.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- The flour is added to the mixture of butter with sugar and cinnamon, and all the ingredients are kneaded so that they are well integrated.
- The egg yolks are added one at a time. Mix all the ingredients again until a homogeneous mass is achieved.
- A little flour is put on the worktop or the dough and the dough is spread out. You work with it with the roller, stretching it.
- With a mold, or with a glass, figures are formed and they are placed on the oven tray with parchment paper.
- Bake between 15 and 20 minutes until they take a toasty color.
- Let cool and serve.
Delicious, right? They are an excellent option to enjoy during this Christmas. Of course, we hope you like them.
