Pan de Polvo (Mexican Wedding Cookies)

Need a nice little pick-me-up with your coffee? How about a sweet treat in the afternoon with your tea? This little cookie fills the bill. This Pan de Polvo recipe comes to me from the Heritage Cookbook, an out-of-print cookbook, from the Hidalgo County Historical Museum. Not only is the book out of print, the museum is now the Museum of South Texas History. Published in 1983, friends of the museum submitted recipes representing the foods of South Texas for the Heritage Cookbook. The cookbook included recipes using local wild plants, regional recipes and recipes from the "Nuevo Cocinero Mejicana" published in 1858.

The recipe for pan de polvo was submitted by Mrs. Jack Lane (Estella). The recipe will make about 20-24 dozen cookies, as pan de polvo is traditionally a small bite cookie. The recipe can be halved. Pan de polvo is traditionally cut into small hearts, circles or fluted circles.

INGREDIENTS:
5 cups flour (add about 3 teaspoons of powdered cinnamon until the flour looks pinkish)
2 3/4 cups shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup cinnamon tea (made by simmering a whole stick of cinnamon in water)
Cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients except the cinnamon sugar into a semi-soft dough. Roll out to about 1/2 inch (or less) thick. Cut into any shape desired. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

Cinnamon Sugar*
Grind up 4 packages of whole cinnamon and add to 1 cup of sugar, enough to look very brown and taste good.

Dust the cookies with the cinnamon sugar while they are warm.

Cover the pan de polvo after they have cooled and they will keep for a long time.

*Powdered cinnamon can substitute for whole cinnamon. Just combine with the sugar until it has a pleasant taste.

Enjoy (with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate)