11 ounces sugar
1/2 pound Crisco [lard]
4 eggs
8 teaspoons Magic baking powder
34 ounces flour (If the eggs are large, add a touch more flour)
1 teaspoon salt

For coating
Icing sugar
an almond in the center of each cookie, optional
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Original Italian Text
11 ouz. zucchero
1/2 libro crisco
4 uova
8 cucchiani magich
8 onz di sugo di arancio e anche la scorza
34 onz. farina si le uove sono grossi metere un po di farina di pu
1 c. te di sale
Forno 350, deve venire rose.
Bateu pei prima il crisco, zucchero, le uove e poi l'arancia, poi il magich, metere iusiemi alla farine, poi pasare le poline nel zucchero a velo. metere sopro una mandorle

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Beat the Crisco with the sugar and the eggs.

Add the orange juice and zest. Mix well.

Mix the Magic baking powder with the flour.

Incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet ones.

Form small balls with the soft cookie dough.

Roll the balls in icing sugar.

Place the dough balls on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, making sure there is ample space between them, as they will spread a little.

Flatten the dough balls just a little.

Add an almond in the center (not roasted; peeled or unpeeled) -- optional.

Cool.

Keep in fridge or freeze until needed.

Bake at 350 F degrees until golden (about 10 minutes).

Mrs. Anna-Maria Benvenuto has collected hundreds of recipes from relatives, friends and neighbors over the years. She recorded the recipes in Italian in numerous notebooks, often naming the recipe after the person who gave it to her (The one in this entry was provided to her by her friend, Elia). Being an avid baker Mrs. Benvenuto tried out many of the recipes herself. Because of her talent and expertise, she did not feel the need to write detailed instructions as she knew how to make the recipes without them. However, when asked by this website's archivist (Mary Melfi) for details, she quickly volunteered the information. Nonetheless, as with most first generation Italian-Canadian handwritten recipes, it is understood that whoever attempts to duplicate them should have some knowledge of what they are doing (Easier said than done).... While Mrs. Benvenuto was born in the Veneto region (in 1938) and has a natural fondness for recipes that come from this area, she found that as soon as she immigrated to Montreal, Quebec in 1952 she developed an instant appreciation for all foods from her homeland.... Photo and English translation of original Italian text: Mary Melfi.

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