Sweet Potato Christmas Cookies
"**Saudade**” is not a word you just say; it's a whole set of imprints of sensations and emotions on the soul, made up of smells, tastes, and (especially) memories!
I remember, as a child, during the days leading up to Christmas, sitting on a chair in the kitchen, intently watching my grandmother as she turned pots and pans, preparing all those traditional seasonal dishes that I can still taste in my mouth.
This year, I decided to venture into recreating one of those sweet delicacies that have always (always) been present on our Christmas table and hope to do it justice.
By sharing this family recipe, I hope it brings you the sweet taste of gratitude and friendship and that you can share them also with your loved ones!
**Merry Christmas, my people!** 🫂
**Preparation time:** (excluding preparation of the sweet potatoes and mash) 20 minutes
**Baking time:** 7 minutes
**Ingredients**
* 300 g roasted sweet potato, peeled and mashed
* 5 tbsp brown sugar
* Pinch of fleur de sel
* 1 egg (large)
* 1 yolk
* 30 g dried grated coconut
* 100 g whole, skinned almonds
* Lemon zest (optional)
* Zest of 2 oranges
* 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
* 1/16 tsp vanilla powder
* 1 egg yolk (for the egg wash)
**Preparation**
1. Grind the grated coconut in a food processor. Then add the almonds and grind again until it turns into fine granules or flour, depending on your preference.
2. In a pot (I used a Dutch oven, so I could control the process better), add the roasted sweet potato mash, the sugar, and the pinch of fleur de sel. Mix with a spoon until everything is well blended. Make sure to crush any bits of potato.
3. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with the spoon to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool down completely.
4. In a bowl, mix the egg and yolk with a fork. Add them to the contents of the pot and mix.
5. Then add the coconut, almonds, zest(s), cinnamon, and vanilla and return the pot to the heat, stirring constantly with a spoon so that the dough dries out and becomes moldable. It will take about 5 to 7 minutes on a gas stove with the smallest burner. At 9 to 10 minutes, the dough will be too dry because it still has to go in the oven.
6. As soon as you can handle the dough, shape it into small dumplings using 2 tablespoons. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, flatten each one with the help of a moistened dessert spoon, and make their edges with your fingertips (also moistened) and press lightly to flatten, so they look like the picture above. Delicate gestures and patience always pays off!
7. Brush each cookie with plenty of egg yolk.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC (392°F) with the fan on the top rack for about 7 minutes or until golden brown. If you notice that the cookies near the oven door are toasting faster than those further away, turn the tray halfway through.
9. When you take the cookies out of the oven, to make the yolk shiny, pass a paper towel moistened with water over them.
10. Once cooled, store the cookies in a closed container in the fridge. You can start enjoying them within 24 hours.
**Notes**
- Yields 26 small cookies
- If you want, **you can freeze** the cookies still raw with or without the yolk. Place the shaped cookies on a tray lined with baking paper and put it in the freezer. Once frozen, store them in a freezer bag or other container. When you want to bake them, just take them out, place them in a tray lined with baking paper, and put them straight into the oven. Bake at 200ºC with no fan for 5 minutes. Turn the tray over, turn on the fan, and bake for another 5 minutes.
- **On baking the sweet potatoes and mash**: Choose small sweet potatoes. This way, the oven time will be shorter. Rinse the potatoes well to remove any dust. Place them on a tray lined with baking paper and bake them in a preheated oven at 180°C with no fan until they are soft to the touch. Remove them from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes. The skin should come off easily. To make the mash, just use a potato masher.
