Spanish Roccos (Galletitas Navidanas)

Submitted by Numm Nummery

"This recipe is from my Great Grandmother who immigrated to Hawaii from Granada, Spain on the Heliopolis in 1905. My Grandma would make these cookies for Christmas every year. And now I do too. The sweetness comes mostly from the powdered sugar coated on the outside. If you can't find Muscatel wine you can use a sweet sherry or any sweet dessert wine. These cookies will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in covered container."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Yields: 50-75 cookies

ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1⁄2 cups orange peel (1 inch squares)
• 3 tablespoons anise seed
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup muscat wine (or favorite dessert wine)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 lbs flour
• powdered sugar

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat oil in a small sauce pan.
3. Add orange peel and fry until the pith (white part) is golden brown.
4. Add anise seed to orange oil and fry for 2 or 3 minutes more.
5. Strain the oil into a glass bowl and discard the orange and anise.
6. Add shortening to oil. Stir till melted.
7. Add wine to oil.
8. Add sugar to oil.
9. Place bowl of oil in refrigerator until cool.
10. Add flour 1/2 pound at a time. Mix well.
11. Roll out dough till about 1/2 inch thick.
12. Cut cookies with 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Traditionally we make a doughnut shape with about 2 tablespoons of dough.
13. Place cookies on un-greased cookie sheet.
14. Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
15. Let cool and dust heavily with powdered sugar.