Mantecados

Mantecados come from Estepa, a small town in the Seville province that produces the vast majority of Spain's mantecados. The recipe dates back to the 16th century; the original versions were made in convents, where pigs were slaughtered in autumn and the lard was used for winter baking. The name comes from manteca (lard), the key ingredient. By the 19th century, Estepa had industrialized their production, and today they are shipped across Spain and Latin America for Christmas.

A round, pale-gold shortbread that crumbles to nothing on the tongue. The flavor is toasted flour, sweet lard (clean, not porky), a hint of anise or cinnamon. It is rich and dry at once, the kind of thing that begs for a sip of sweet wine or anís liqueur.

The lard (manteca) is the key — it makes the shortbread crumbly and melt-in-the-mouth, in a way butter cannot. The lard must be soft (room temperature) and whipped to incorporate air. The flour is toasted first (like polvorones) to remove its raw taste and add nuttiness. The dough is very crumbly and must be pressed firmly into the mold or shaped gently by hand.