Besos - Kisses

February seems to be the 'month of love' or 'mes del amor' where I live.  Spring is in the air, at least the hope of Spring is in the air.  Birds begin looking for a mate and then go nest shopping.  When we are young we start to wonder if he (or she) likes me..... maybe I will get chocolates or a flower for Valentines Day.  Better yet, maybe I should give chocolates or a flower and let my intentions be known.  All are part of the rituals of February.  We even celebrate a Love your Pet Day, February 20th.  The possibilities for love are endless.  Blah blah blah........ 

You get the drift, right?  Today I will show you a simple recipe for 'Besos' which means kisses in Spanish.   The recipe is from my book and it is so easy and a cute and tasty gift to give to all your friends and loved ones.


From page 164, From the Kitchens of Pancho Villa

Kisses
Besos

Makes about 48 cookies

Small one-bite shortbread type cookies, these are only  slightly sweet. The big burst of sweetness comes from the powdered sugar coating. They taste just as good without the  coating, but it would not be a true beso (kiss) without it. For  those cooks who own ovens, this little delight is usually  made around Valentine’s Day, sometimes two cookies  sandwiched with a filling of strawberry jam. Mexico is full  of traditions, and this is a sweet one!

Ingredients

2 cups flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter, or a combination of butter and solid vegetable shortening
powdered sugar for coating after baking

Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Prepare a cookie sheet by greasing with shortening or lining with parchment  paper.

Knead together all the ingredients except the powdered sugar until fully mixed. Form into small balls the size of  hazelnuts. Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten a little with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the  oven, carefully remove cookies from the cookie sheet (they are fragile), and cover them in powdered sugar.  Gently shake off the excess sugar, and cool on a wire rack.

You may need to make more than one batch though.  I find myself falling into the 'cheater' category when I make these because they never make it to the cookie tin! 

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