These can be produced, if you like, with lard or (more likely) butter, but this is an ancient recipe from southern Spain and probably was originally made with olive oil. Terrific with sherry or coffee.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 dozen cookies

　　2 cups flour

　　1/2 teaspoon baking powder

　　Pinch of salt

　　1/2 cup granulated sugar

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1 egg

　　1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus oil for the cookie sheets

　　Grated zest of 1 orange or lemon, plus some of its juice if needed

　　1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

　　Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine the dry ingredients. Beat the egg with the olive oil, orange zest, and liqueur. Gently stir the liquid mix into the dry one, just until well combined; if the mixture is stiff, add a little orange juice.

　　

Step 2

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool for a couple of minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool further. Store in a covered tin for up to 3 days; sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.