During the holidays it is always nice to get nostalgic isn’t it? And it is hard to beat the nostalgic feelings that often accompany old family recipes!
Well my husband, being from southern California and part of a Spanish/Mexican family has always talked about remembering his mom making pan de polvo, or Mexican wedding cookies during Christmas.
Because I bake, he has always wanted me to try and recreate these cookies during the holiday season. But honestly, they just weren’t anything like I have ever baked before so I was a bit intimidated.
Until this past summer. Because this past summer, we took a trip to California to visit Erik’s family. And the first thing I asked his Aunt Jackie was to teach me how to make pan de polvo.
Let me tell you that I am glad I didn’t try to make it before consulting with her. You see, when I make rolled out cookies I am used to making the dough with eggs and butter. But pan de polvo is made with vegetable shortening, lots of flour, a little sugar and cinnamon.
The result is a tender, slightly sweet cookie that kind of crumbles in your mouth (hence where the cookie gets its name: Pan de Polvo is ‘bread of dust’.) The cinnamon flavor is the real star of the cookie and it really makes it taste extra special.
Here are a couple things to understand about making pan de polvo.
First of all, you want all ingredients at room temperature, even the shortening. This is NOT like making pie crust where you want the ingredients well chilled.
Secondly, when you leave the mixture to sit for an hour before rolling, you want it sitting on the counter, NOT in the refrigerator. (Can you see why this confused me. Because normally you chill cookie dough in the fridge before rolling it out.)
Third, you need very small cookie cutters (think the size of pie crust shape cutters) because this is a crumbly dough and the bigger you make the shapes, the more likely your cookie will fall apart.
Finally, when rolling out the dough, roll it thicker than you roll out a sugar cookie dough. Again, this is to make it less likely that the cookie will fall apart!
When making these cookies, it is traditional to use stick cinnamon and grind it in a coffee grinder, or even simmer it and make it into a cinnamon tea, but when I made it myself this Christmas I actually just used traditional ground cinnamon and it worked great. If taking this route, make sure to use a high quality cinnamon. I use a Saigon Cassia cinnamon from Vietnam that I purchase online from a store in Evanston (near Chicago) called “The Spice House”.
One thing is for sure! If you make this pan de polvo, you too will find yourself enjoying a new tradition that you will find yourself craving every Christmas season!!
Note about the pictures: Half of these were taken in California this past summer with my Iphone and half were taken this week with my Cannon when I made them with my daughter for Christmas. Can you tell the difference? The people in the photo are Aunt Jackie, my son, daughter, and niece!
Ingredients
- 5 cups of flour
- 1 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening (I use Crisco) -room temperature
- 1/2 c. of sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks of cinnamon grounded in a coffee grinder OR 1 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons of sugar
- 2 t. ground cinnamon (stick or ground)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl place all ingredients and using hands, mix dough all together. -your hands will get messy as you squish all ingredients together. this is a great part to let kids help!) You have to squish the dough together for a long time. Up to several minutes. the heat from your hands is what makes the dough pliable for it to come together.
- Once dough comes together, place on counter (NOT the refrigerator) for an hour.
- Pre heat oven to 375 while you roll out the dough.
- Roll out the dough on a well floured surface. Roll out the dough thicker than you normally would for sugar cookies (see pictures)
- Cut out shapes with small cookie cutters (Like pie shape cutters)
- Place close together on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before prying them loose with a spatula or fork. (Do NOT use your fingers or cookies will crumble apart!)
- In a medium bowl, mix sugar and ground cinnamon and dredge the slightly cooled cookies in the sugar mixture and then using a fork, place immediately on a cookie rack. (You must dredge cookies in the sugar mixture while still hot or sugar will not adhere well to the cookies)
- These cookies have a long shelf life. Place in a covered cookie tin when finished. Enjoy!!
Yummm! These look delicious! So interesting that it uses shortening as opposed to butter. What a cool, meaningful recipe. 🙂
Thank you Erin! The shortening gives them a light tender texture. Nostalgic family recipes are the best!! 🙂
Hello I’m trying to make these and I cannot get it to form into a dough.. Does it call for any water? Any help would be appreciated 🙂 thank you in advance!
Nope, no water needed. You need to work the dough with your hands. The heat from your hands should make the dough soft and pliable. You have to squish it together for several minutes before it becomes a dough. My guess is that as long as you were using your hands and really working it…..you simply might not have done it long enough. Good luck. I hope this helps! 🙂
I am like you. All I have is a crumbled up mess. It’s not even forming into a dough. I used my hands to mix this thoroughly and it’s not coming together like its supposed to.
I am sorry to hear this Sherra. My only guess is that you did not squeeze it together with your hands long enough. This is a longer process than it takes for normal sugar cookies and can be frustrating but it does eventually come together. I have had many people make this recipe with success. Sorry it didn’t work for you.
In South Texas most use lard. I am going to use shortening this year. We also make a tea with Cinnamon Sticks and Anise seeds. This may help the ones who couldn’t get it to come together.
These look and sound wonderful Renee! I love all the cinnamon and these look so cute and festive 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Kelly! There is nothing like a good family recipe right!!!
Oh yes, I love the nostalgia that goes with the holidays. Always make every recipe or baked goods taste even better. these cookies look amazing.
Thanks so much Zainab!! It really is a great new holiday tradition -and now my kids get to experience what my husband grew up with! 🙂
These are so adorable. So nice to bring back goodies from the past, the holidays seem to do that!
I agree Jessica! The holidays make me so nostalgic!!! I love it! 🙂
I love cinnamon! And pairing it with a shortbread-type cookie would be delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Your welcome Julia, I’m glad you stopped by!! 🙂
I just found this recipe from the Will Cook for Smiles link party and it looks so good. And it’s perfect for the recipe link party that just went live on my website Future Expat. Today’s theme is SUGAR…so feel free to link this up and any other of your sweet sugary recipes.
http://futureexpat.com/2013/12/required-ingredient-sugar/
Every link gets posted to Pinterest and the featured recipes each week also get highlighted on social media sites too. Would love to have you join us!
Thanks so much for the info Karen. I’d love to join your link party!!
I love that these cookies were a fun family event! They look great! The snowman ornaments are adorable, I love them! What a great idea, have to try it next year. Also, your afghan rules! Have a great holiday!
I have no idea what happened, I was commenting on 2 blogs and somehow I clicked submit and they both kind of merged? Apologies! Ignore the snowman ornaments and afghan, but your cookies still rule. I’m not crazy, I swear.
You are hilarious Pamela!! I was just now reading that comment trying to think of what could have looked like a snowman ornament!!! I am laughing hard right now!! Multi tasking: Sometimes funny things happen 🙂 🙂 🙂
I love the tip on making sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature…even the shortening. These cookies are gorgeous!
Thank you so much Gloria!! I appreciate your kind words!
My grandma made these for us during the holidays while she was alive. When I asked her for the recipe, she handed me the cookie dough. She would not give me the recipe! I still laugh about it to this day. Can’t wait to try these to bring back the memories ;D
Veronica, you are the second person who has told me about memories of their grandmother making Pan de Polvo. (and about not getting the recipe from her 🙁 Clearly this is a cookie that evokes strong childhood memories for many who were fortunate enough to enjoy these during childhood.
I do, however want to warn you (because I don’t want you to be disappointed) that there are many different ways and methods to make Pan de Polvo (It seems that it depends on the region) There is a method where you use the cinnamon sticks to make a tea that gets incorporated in the cookie….. some versions use anise…….So I DO hope that this version is similar to what your grandmother made…..however, if it isn’t: Continue your search!!! I wish you the best because there is nothing like a good nostalgic childhood recipe!! 🙂
I can’t wait to try your recipe. It sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing. The times that you share with your family baking are the best!!
Thanks so much for the kind words Becky. I hope you enjoy them!! 🙂
I have made these once before using your recipe 🙂
…as I roll out the dough it’s crumbly so I press it together flattening it instead of rolling it out & also made some with powder sugar YUM! I am going to be making another batch in the morning (I made about 150 1.5 inch round cookies with this recipe) my mouth is watering as I type this lol….I have a huge sweet tooth & also remember my mom making them for the holidays when I was a kid
I am so glad to hear that these have worked out for you Jeanette!! Isn’t it great when a recipe brings back wonderful nostalgic memories!! 🙂
Approximately, how many cookies will this recipe make? I’m just wondering if I need to double it for my large family.
That is a great question Florence! I haven’t made these since last year but I want to say it makes at least 100 if not more small cookies depending on the size of the cookie cutter. One comment above said she made about 150 with my recipe. Keep in mind that they are small so it is easy to eat several per person!!! I hope this helped!! 🙂
AAAARRRGGHH!!! I simply cannot find my mom’s old scrawled recipe from her mom that specifically called for Manischewitz Concord Grape Wine (we never used the tea method in my family, IDK why) and lemme tell you, Crisco, Manischewitz, anise mixed with cinnamon sugar…oh my. Thanks for this, though, it’s very close in most ways.
How many cookies does your recipe yield?
Thank you!
It should yield around 150 small cookies.
Does this need water?
Hi thanks for the recipe I’ve been trying different ones and haven’t found one I like or expect.
So far I was able to form a dough and it’s chilling on the counter but since my hands weren’t warm enough I heated a clean dish towel in the microwave a couple of seconds and put it over the mix a couple of seconds and started working it again. Worked for me !! Happy baking!!
Thanks so much for the comment. I love that suggestion of putting a warm towel over the dough. I think that warmth is the key to making the dough form. I think when people say they can’t make a dough form that they either don’t work it long enough with their hands or the environment is simply not warm enough. Have a great New Year!
Can I make the dough in my kitchen aid mixer instead of using my hands?
No, these really need to be made with your hands because the heat from your hands plays a role in making the dough pliable enough to form.
Question on the ground cinnamon is it a tablespoon or teaspoon?
It’s a teaspoon. 🙂
Please tell me how many cookies one batch yields
I have been making the cookies for decades, they are a family favorite at the holidays. Your recipe is almost correct, you are missing the anise tea.