Where it comes from
An Andalusian Christmas sweet dating to the 16th century, with the town of Estepa famous for its production.
On the plate
It barely survives the journey to your mouth before collapsing into a sandy, buttery rubble of toasted almond and warm cinnamon. Rich, dry, and lightly sweet, it begs for a sip of coffee or sweet wine. The tradition is to compress it in your palm first.
How it works
Toasting the flour removes raw taste and limits gluten, giving the signature sandy crumb, while the high lard content coats the flour particles so they crumble rather than bind. Ground almonds add richness and fat.
Variations
mantecados (rounder, various flavors); with lemon, chocolate, or coconut; olive-oil versions
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 20How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓25 min active · 60 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 112 min
Toast the flour in a dry oven or pan until lightly golden, then cool completely.
- 26 min
Toast and finely grind the almonds.
- 34 min
Beat softened lard with sugar until creamy.
- 45 min
Mix in the toasted flour, ground almonds, and cinnamon to form a crumbly dough.
- 55 min
Press the dough flat and cut out oval or round shapes.
- 630 min
Chill the cut cookies so they hold together.
- 718 min
Bake in a moderate oven until just set and pale golden.
- 85 min
Cool fully, then dust heavily with powdered sugar.
