November 4th marks the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the first Portuguese immigrants from Madeira. To celebrate, we’ll be sharing our favorite Portuguese recipes and traditions, including this one for biscoitos!
Ingredients:
1/2 lb butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream together butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture.
Add the eggs, lemon zest and juice and mix until well blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring until combined.
If dough seems dry or flakey, knead slightly.
Scoop up ping-pong ball sized dollops of dough.
Roll between your hands to form a 5-inch long “snake”, even throughout the length.
Brings ends of the “snake” together, slightly folding one end over the other, to form a donut-shape with a small hole in the middle.
Place cookies 1-2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let rest on baking sheet 2 minutes before transferring to rack to cool.
