At a glance
These heirloom Christmas cookies come together with just a handful of basic ingredients—flour, sugar, cocoa, and rendered pork lard—that you mix into a dark, tender dough. After shaping small balls and creating dimples with a spoon handle, they bake low and slow at 120°C for about 40 minutes, then you fill them with jam once cooled. The whole process takes just over an hour and can be done a few days ahead, making these lactose-free treats perfect for holiday baking.
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Mix the ingredients
Combine the flour with the sugar, then add good-quality cocoa. Mix in the lard along with a pinch of each spice.
For this step
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Just the right stickiness
Mix everything into a dough. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour. If it looks too pale, add more cocoa – the dough should be quite dark. If it's too dry, work in a bit more lard.
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Shape the balls
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll the dough into small balls, about 2 cm in diameter.
