Spanish Almond Cookies Recipe

These interesting cookies are spanish in origin, but they are also popular in latin america. They are traditionally prepared with lard (though butter makes a good substitute) and they are especially popular at christmas. Polvorones are thick, slightly sweet, tender cookies, flavored with almond and anise, then topped with powdered sugar. They are a close relative to mexican wedding cookies, though they are shaped differently. Another distinctive characteristic of these cookies is that the flour and almond meal are toasted in the oven before preparing the cookie dough, which gives the cookies a unique and delicious flavor.