Portuguese Spice Cookies

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• zest of one lemon, grated
• 1 tablespoon anise seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, made from day-old firm, bread
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Recipe

• 1 position rack in center of the oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 2 starting with the pastry dough: mix together the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl; cut the butter into small bits and work into the flour, along with the eggs, until a smooth dough is formed.
• 3 cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 10 minutes before rolling dough out on a floured board.
• 4 for the filling: combine the water, sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, boil until the mixture reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer, takes about 10 minutes.
• 5 remove pot from the heat and let cool slightly.
• 6 crush the anise seeds in a mortar or a spice mill, add to the sugar mixture, along with the cinnamon, butter and breadcrumbs, mix well.
• 7 the mixture should resemble bread stuffing.
• 8 roll out a third of the pastry as thinly as possible.
• 9 using a pastry cutter or knife, cut 3-inch-wide strips of pastry.
• 10 with the same cutter make 1/2 inch horizontal slits just off one long edge of the pastry, about 3/4 inch apart.
• 11 spread some cooled filling down the center of the strip, then fold the side with the slits over the solid side, enclosing the filling and sealing the edges.
• 12 cut into 3-inch long cookies.
• 13 place on a lined baking sheet.
• 14 repeat with the remaining pastry.
• 15 bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 15 minutes, be careful not to let them burn.
• 16 let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
• 17 store in an airtight container at room temperature.