Ingredients:
- 1 cup lard or shortening
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon anise seed
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/4 cup sherry
- 1 egg, beaten
- topping- (see below)
Preparation:
Add orange zest to the sugar and use your fingers to cover the zest with some of the sugar. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
Add lard or shortening to mixer and beat until creamy. Add in sugar and zest and mix thoroughly. Slowly add in sherry and mix well to incorporate.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, anise seed, and salt. Add flour mixture to lard mixture a little at a time until a nice stiff dough forms.
Knead dough for 2 minutes on a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. The fleur-de-lis is a common one, but other ornate shapes are sometimes used.
Sprinkle each cookie with topping and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Topping-
1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves mixed with 1/4 cup sugar
