Tomasita’s Torticas de Morón

Tomasita’s Torticas de Morón

 

On December 25, 2004 I was invited to Abuela Tomasita’s kitchen where she taught me how to make her famous torticas de Morón.  I felt very privileged to have this opportunity as she closely guarded this particular recipe.  Abuela had me sit as I took notes in my green notebook, and showed me how she made the cookies directly on her kitchen table.  She didn’t use a recipe (she had it memorized), used a coffee mug to measure, and mixed the dough with her bare hands. 

These tasty sugar cookies were originally created in the city of Morón, in the province Ciego de Ávila in Central Cuba. Abuela came from a family of bakers, so it can be assumed that this was something that her family baked for the family business.  She would often make huge batches of these cookies and give them as gifts for Christmas.  I am sure that Abuela Tomasita would be happy to know that we are still enjoying her cookies during the Christmas season.

 

Picture of my Abuela Tomasita with my niece Danielle on November 5, 2005

Ingredients:

·       1 ½ Lb. (24 oz) of white granulated sugar

·       1 Lb. of Vegetable Shortening (such as Crisco)

·       3 egg yolks

·       1 pinch baking powder

·       2-3 coffee cups of flour

·       Sprinkles, sanding sugar, or white sugar (to decorate)

·       *1/2 teaspoon salt (Annette’s addition)

·       *1 tsp vanilla extract (Annette’s addition)

·       Line cookie sheets with 3 layers of brown paper bags and newspaper cut to fit

 

Directions:

Create a mound of sugar (reserve at least a cup to add as needed) with a hole in the middle of your work surface.  Put half the can of vegetable shortening in the center of the ring of sugar.  Add the three egg yolks, baking powder, vanilla, and salt.  Start mixing by hand, keep one hand clean so you can slowly add other ingredients.  Once the ingredients are mixed start slowly adding at least two cups of flour.  You want to achieve a soft almost playdough texture.  

 

You will now form the dough into small balls.  Take a tablespoon of dough and form the dough into a golf ball size ball.  Place the balls either on a cookie sheet or in a container.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or freeze up to a month.  

When you are ready to bake preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line pans with paper and newspaper, you will want at least three layers to absorb the oil from the cookies as they bake. 

The balls never get too solid, so when you are ready take them out of the cold and dip the top of each ball in sprinkles, and place on your lined cookie sheet.  Even though the dough is formed into small balls they will flatten out as they bake.  If you flatten them now they will melt in the oven and make a puddle.  Lower oven temperature to 300 and bake until the tops of the cookies look cracked and lightly browned 40-45 minutes.