Mantecaditos-Almonds Shortbread Cookies

Submitted by Diana Adcock

"This is a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas Cookie"

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Yields: 40 cookies

ingredients

• 2 1⁄4 cups flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄4 cup shortening
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 5 maraschino cherries

directions

1. Place your oven rack in the middle on your oven and preheat to 350°.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour and nutmeg-set aside.
3. In a large bowl beat butter, shortening and extracts and beat until smooth.
4. Gradually add sugar and cream.
5. Blend in flour-dough should be slightly moist.
6. Using teaspoons and not your hands form into balls.
7. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and press down slightly.
8. Cut each cherry into 8 pieces and place a sliver on each cookie.
9. Bake for 20 minutes and cool on a rack.

Reviews

[BahaCanadian]

Very nice, flaky cookies. I had no almond extract so I subbed 2 Tbsp of Amaretto which worked out brilliantly. I also pushed a whole raw almond on top instead of the maraschino cherry for half the batch.

 

[Permon1980]

Great recipe, very similar to my grandmother's in taste - except she didn't use nutmeg. I also cut the cherries in half and made the cookies a bit larger. Since I couldn't find the copy I had of her recipe, this one was perfect! I also converted the cups to ounces and found that it was a softer mixture. Excellent recipe - I shared it with other family members and they gave the finished product a great big thumbs up!

 

[GRECORICAN]

These were awesome!!! Hubby is Puerto Rican so I made these for him for Christmas and he loved them!!! Great recipe, easy to make and delicious.