Christmas Pan de Polvo

   Little, tiny shapes,  all covered in cinnamon sugar......, tupperware containers filled and stacked in the kitchen,  there was not a Christmas that went by, where mom didn't make a big batch of these traditional Pan de Polvo(shortening bread).  Flour, melted shortening, a bit of sugar and mixing it all with a tea made from simmered anise and cinnamon stick.....not only were these so good to eat, and hard to step away from, mind you, but the whole house smelled wonderful, and Christmas-y.
 Making the dough is relatively quick and simple, rolling out the dough and cutting  shapes out with tiny cookie cutters takes a little time, but is well worth it!   The great thing is, you can get quite a few cookies on a sheet.  You can use bigger cutters if you like, but I prefer to use tiny ones, just like mom did.

Well, she doesn't bake anymore, but my sisters and I do and we've carried on her tradition of Christmas Pan de Polvo.  Cheers!

                                                       Pan de Polvo

Oven 350 degrees

6 C flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder / dash of salt

1/2 C sugar

1lb. lard(Crisco)- 2 1/2 Cups

1/2 to 1 C anise and cinnamon tea (to make: simmer 1 small pkg. whole anise seed with 1 small pkg. cinnamon stick in 2 Cups of water), as stated, you'll only use about 1/2 to 1 cup.

Mix dry ingredients well.  Melt shortening and add to dry ingredients(it may be a bit squishy at first but will soon start drying as dry ingredients are absorbed).  Add tea and mix well, the dough should be soft but not sticky, it's best to start off with a small amount of tea and work in more as needed.  Let dough rest for about 20 to 30 minutes.  Roll and cut out.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Note: I often cut mine thick, so it can take up to 12 minutes depending on thickness and oven.

When the cookies are still warm, roll in a mixture of cinnamon sugar, 4 tsp cinnamon to 1/4 c sugar or to your own taste.   Store in a plastic container and enjoy, they won't last long!