Mantecados

Spanish Sugar Cookies

In Fearful Breakers, mantecados are one of the many sweets enjoyed by the Albañez family as part of their Noche Buena feast.

While the sugar would have been produced in Cuba, the flour would need to be imported from Spain, or smuggled in from the British colonies.

  • 1 c butter, softened

  • ½ c light olive oil

  • 1 c sugar

  • 1 lemon peel, grated

  • 2 t lemon juice

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 2 c flour

  • ½ t baking soda

Ingredients

  1. Preheat the oven to 325⁰

  2. Cream the butter in a large bowl, then add the olive oil. Cream in the sugar until smooth.

  3. Mix in the egg, grated lemon, and lemon juice.

  4. Whisk together the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl, then gradually add the butter mixture. Don’t overmix lest you toughen the dough.

  5. Flour your hands, then take a teaspoon’s worth of dough and roll into a ball. Place them on a greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.

  6. Bake 15-20 minutes or until brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.

Directions