AI-generated image
Perrunillas
Cinnamon and lemon lard cookies
Perrunillas extremeñas: crumbly cinnamon and lemon cookies made with pork lard
Perrunillas are the cookies of Extremaduran grandmothers, baked in village ovens for Christmas, weddings and the days after the matanza, when fresh lard was plentiful. They are thick, pale and so short they crumble the moment you bite, with a crackly sugar top, and they are eaten with coffee or a glass of milk in the afternoon. This contains pork (pork lard), so they are not vegetarian. Chef's tip: beat the lard and sugar for a good few minutes until very pale and fluffy; that air is what makes them light.
- Total time
- 38 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 7 oz pork lardat room temperature
- 7 oz sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zestfinely grated
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 16 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 eggbeaten, to glaze
- 2 tbsp sugarfor sprinkling
- 24 whole blanched almonds (optional)to decorate
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
10 minStep 2: Beat the 7 oz pork lard and 7 oz sugar together for 4–5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the 2 egg yolks, 1 tbsp lemon zest and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
6 minStep 3: Sift in the 16 oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder and mix with your hand just until a soft dough comes together. A common mistake is kneading it: perrunillas should crumble, and overworked dough bakes tough.
3 minStep 4: Roll walnut-sized balls, set them on the trays and flatten each to about 1.5 cm thick. Press one of the 24 whole blanched almonds into the top of each if you like.
10 minStep 6: Bake for 15–18 minutes until golden on top and lightly coloured underneath but still pale at the sides. They are soft when hot and firm up as they cool.
18 minStep 7: Cool on the tray for 10 minutes before moving them, as they break easily while warm. Store in a tin for up to 2 weeks.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does perrunillas take?
- About 38 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 18 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground cinnamon?
- A cinnamon stick, ground: about ½ tsp per stick.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Arroz con pitu de caleyaSoupy rice with chicken
A pitu de caleya is a cockerel raised free in the lanes, or caleyas, of rural Asturias; its firm, flavourful meat needs long stewing, and families around Villaviciosa and Grado still cook it for feast days. The stew is often finished as a soupy rice, so the deep chicken juices go into every grain. Use the best free-range chicken you can find. The braise includes dry white wine; replace it with extra stock and a squeeze of lemon if you want it alcohol-free. Chef's tip: brown the chicken slowly and deeply; that colour is where the flavour of the whole pot comes from.
All i pebreEel and potato paprika stew
In El Palmar and the other villages around the Albufera lagoon south of Valencia, the restaurants that are famous for paella serve something older first: all i pebre, "garlic and pepper", a brick-red stew of lagoon eel and potatoes thickened with a pounded almond and fried-bread picada. It is rich, garlicky and gently hot, eaten with bread to mop up the sauce. Ask your fishmonger to skin and cut the eel, and handle it with gloves: raw eel blood is irritating, though harmless once cooked. If you can't find eel, monkfish or hake works well. A common mistake is letting the paprika burn; it turns bitter in seconds, so add it off the heat. Chef's tip: break the potatoes with a knife instead of cutting cleanly; the rough edges release starch and thicken the sauce.
Escudella i carn d'ollaChristmas soup with giant pasta
This contains pork (pork belly and pork mince). On Christmas Day, Catalan families sit down to escudella i carn d'olla, served in two courses: first the broth with giant snail-shaped galets pasta, then the carn d'olla, a platter of the meats, chickpeas and vegetables that made it, including the pilota, a large herby meatball. The pot simmers for hours, and the leftovers become the next day's canelons. Chef's tip: start the meats in cold water and skim patiently as it comes to the boil; it is the only way to a clear, golden broth.