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Corn Spike Cookies – Carrilhos

A blue ceramic bowl filled with brown, rectangular biscuits is placed on a white tablecloth with blue floral embroidery. Inspired by Maria Lawton's Azores recipes, a teacup filled with light brown tea sits nearby, another biscuit resting on the saucer.
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I probably make biscuitos more often than carrilhos, but my family and I love them both so much. This recipe has been in my family for generations, and I love thinking of all the grandmothers and aunts from ages ago that I never met following the same steps I’m following, sitting down with a hot cup of tea when they’re done.

  • Author: Maria Lawton
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
  • Category: Baked Goods

Ingredients

Scale

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1 3/4cups of warm milk
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
4 cups of white corn flour
2 large eggs
9 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
7 tablespoons of lard at room temperature

Note: to get the star shape you’ll need a cooking press with a star tip

Tip: I found that instead of a cookie press, use a Churro maker like this one from Amazon.

Need baking trays? I like these by Wilton

Instructions

Preheat oven at 350 F

Grease baking trays, or line with parchment paper, and set aside.

1. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, such as the two types of flours, along with sugar and baking powder, and then create a well at the bottom of the bowl by pushing the flour mixture up the sides of the bowl.

2. Add the eggs, butter, lard, lemon zest and half the milk. Start mixing everything together until a firm consistency. You don’t want the mix to be too wet of too dry… so as you are mixing and kneading the dough, you can alternate adding more milk if the dough is too dry, or adding more flour if too wet. You want the dough to be able to hold its shape when it’s pressed through the cookie press.

3. Use a cookie press with a star tip to make the long spike design.

4. Once you place the spikes on the prepared baking tray, cut the corn spikes into 5 to 6 inch length and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.  

If you like your cookies extra crunchy, you can keep them in the oven with the temperature lowered to 100 degrees for an extra 15-20 minutes.

Notes

This recipe should make a few dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them!

Find it online: https://azoreangreenbean.com/corn-spike-cookies-carrilhos/

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