Shortbread cookies on lard

Cooking delicious homemade shortbread cookies according to a simple recipe. Fragrant and crumbly - this is exactly what is obtained on lard (pork fat). With milk, tea or coffee - for family tea.

Probably the most important question that interests chefs who plan to cook cookies on lard is whether it smells like pork fat. If the lard itself does not smell, then the baked goods do not have a characteristic smell. There is a small amber in the process of kneading the dough and during baking, but it completely evaporates after the finished cookie has cooled completely.

Ingredients

• Wheat flour of the highest grade (550 grams)
• Pork fat (200 grams)
• SugarSugar (180 grams)
• Chicken eggs (3 pieces)
• VanillinVanillin (1 pinch)

Directions

1. To make delicious homemade shortbread cookies, we need the following ingredients: wheat flour, lard (pork fat), granulated sugar, chicken eggs and vanillin.
2. Pour 180 grams of sugar into a bulky dish and break 3 chicken eggs. In addition, I advise you to flavor the dough to make the finished cookies more interesting. I use a pinch of vanillin (can be substituted with a teaspoon of vanilla sugar), but add grated citrus zest (also a teaspoon) if desired.
3. Beat eggs with sugar with a whisk or mixer. We do not need to get a fluffy and stable mass - for shortcrust pastry, it is enough for all the sugar to dissolve. Alternatively, you can take the same amount of powdered sugar - then you just need to mix everything.
4. Add 200 grams of lard (pork fat). It does not need to be heated: just take it out of the refrigerator (freezer) and leave it on the table for an hour.
5. Stir with a spoon or whisk to get a homogeneous mass.
6. Then we gradually sift the wheat flour. Add a part, mix it into the greasy base, and then add more. First, mix everything with a spoon, then with your hand.
7. Shortcrust pastry on lard turns out to be tender and very soft. It does not stick to your hands and is still quite greasy to the touch. In total, for this amount of ingredients, I needed 550 grams of premium wheat flour. True, depending on its moisture content, it may take more or less.
8. We transfer the shortbread dough on the lard into a bag or tighten it with cling film, level it so that it becomes a layer uniform in thickness. We send it to the freezer for about 30-40 minutes. You can knead the dough in advance and store in the freezer until needed.
9. When the dough gets stronger and becomes quite dense, we take it out of the bag and transfer it to the work surface. This shortbread dough is very tender, so I recommend sprinkling the table and rolling pin with a little wheat flour. Roll out the dough into a fairly thin layer (about 5 millimeters thick), dusting the rolling pin with flour if necessary.
10. With the help of plungers, cutting or a glass (glasses), we cut out blanks of any shape that you like best. You can simply cut the dough into squares or rectangles with a regular knife. We collect the cuttings, mix quickly, roll them out again and cut them out.
11. We transfer the blanks to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a baking mat.
12. Additionally, I made the decor on blanks - smaller cuttings. So prettier.
13. We bake shortbread cookies on lard in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Focus on the features of your assistant! I baked cookies in an electric oven (yes, a new thing!) In the top-bottom mode without convection for literally 10 minutes. The first baking sheet is ready, we immediately put the second. In total, from the number of ingredients specified in the recipe, I got 2.5 baking sheets of cookies (standard plate 60x60 centimeters).
14. Cool the finished shortbread cookies on lard and enjoy delicious, aromatic and crumbly homemade cakes. Cook for your health, friends, and bon appetit!