🍋🍪 ¡Enjoy Christmas with these vegan lemon and anise mantecados-inspired Christmas cookies! Crumbly, soft, and infused with the unmistakable aroma of anise and lemon zest, these treats are perfect alongside your holiday coffee or tea.
🌱 Made with plant-based ingredients and easy to prepare at home, they’re a delicious and sustainable option for the festive season. Perfect to add to your holiday cookie tray or to gift to family and friends.
INGREDIENTS (approx. 2 baking trays)
400 g all-purpose flour
200 g vegetable oil or vegan butter, at room temperature
150 g unrefined icing sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2–3 tsp anise seeds, to taste
Additional icing sugar for dusting
METHOD
1. Prepare the oven:
Preheat to 180 °C (350 °F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2. Toast the flour:
Place the flour in a pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden brown. Let it cool and sift to remove any lumps.
3. Mix ingredients and rest the dough (optional):
In a large bowl, combine the toasted flour, icing sugar, lemon zest, anise, and vegetable oil or vegan butter until you form a smooth dough. Mix all the ingredients well until you get a homogeneous dough.
💡 Optional resting step: Once ready, wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The dough may be slightly crumbly; this step helps it firm up and makes it easier to handle.
4. Shape the mantecados:
After resting, remove the dough from the fridge, divide it into small portions, and form balls. Place them on the baking trays and gently flatten them with the bottom of a glass to about 1 cm thick.
💡 Alternative option: You can also use a cookie cutter and a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1 cm thick. Handle carefully, as the cookies are delicate and can break easily.
5. Bake:
Reduce the oven temperature to 150–160 °C (300–320 °F) and bake for 10 minutes. Do not bake longer, as they will become hard. When done, remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.
6. Cool and finish:
Allow to cool completely before moving. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
👵💚Grandma Sita’s Tips:
✅ Use vegan butter or vegetable oil; both work beautifully.
✅ Adjust anise and lemon zest to taste for a perfect festive aroma.
✅ Dough should be crumbly but hold together when pressed.
✅ Store dough in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for 1 month.
✅ Finished cookies keep up to 5 days in an airtight container.
✅ Wrap individually for gifting using colorful food-safe paper.
😋 Why you’ll love them:
💚 Aromatic and crumbly: lemon and anise in every bite.
💚 Plant-based & sustainable: enjoy Christmas treats without animal products.
💚 Quick and easy: just 6 basic ingredients.
💚 Perfect for sharing or gifting during the holidays.
📗A bit of history:
Polvorones and mantecados originated in Andalucía in the 16th century. Today, they’re enjoyed across Spain and in countries like Mexico, Cuba, and the Philippines. Every region and family adds its own personal twist.
♻️ A More Sustainable Christmas
Preparing vegan treats at home is a beautiful way to keep holiday traditions alive while caring for our planet. With every small gesture, we add a little more kindness to the world. Because in Grandma Sita’s kitchen, sustainability and love always go hand in hand. 🌎✨
