Pan de San Nicolas - Filipino Heirloom Cookie

Here is the recipe for Pan de San Nicolas- Filipino Heirloom Cookies, adapted from the original demonstrated to me by Lillian Mercado Lising -Borromeo, and from her cookbook “Atching Lillian’s Heirloom Recipes”. The ingredients she used in the original recipe were basic and easy to obtain in Pampanga, Philippines. But here in my American kitchen, I improvised because I could not find arrowroot cornstarch. When I substituted rice flour and regular cornstarch, the dough held up pretty well. And as you can see from my photos, I made some pretty heirloom cookies. This recipe makes 18 to 20 large Pan de San Nicolas cookies, each measuring about 4 inches in diameter. This Asian in America recipe post by Elizabeth Ann Quirino was inspired by Atching Lillian Borromeo.

Prep Time1

Cook Time12

Resting Time40

Total Time1 52

Course: Dessert, Merienda, Snacks

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Filipino Pan de San Nicolas Heirloom Cookies

Servings: people

Calories: 1057kcal

Author: Asian in America - Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

Heirloom wooden cookie molds
Springerle cookie molds

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
6 whole eggyolks
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine softened at room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl : cornstarch, baking powder, salt, sugar, egg yolks, coconut milk, softened butter, lemon zest and oil. Blend well with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the cake flour and the rice flour, knead it into the mixture till it resembles a thick dough and has a smooth surface. Mixing by hand should take about 10 minutes till it is smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
Place the dough into an airtight container and freezer for 2 to 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, take the dough out of the freezer and thaw on the counter for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep the dough very cold so it is easy to roll out and handle on the heirloom cookie molds.
Grease with baking spray or shortening the surface of the San Nicolas mold which has the design. Make sure to grease the inner crevices and corners so that the dough can be removed easily after shaping.
Place a chunk of the dough, about 4 tablespoons over the San Nicolas mold, on the hand carved portion. Flatten with your hand to spread it around evenly. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper over the dough, which is over the wooden mold. Using a rolling pin, roll and flatten the dough so it gets embedded in the design.
Place a round or oval cookie cutter over the San Nicolas mold, to cut the dough to the appropriate shape needed. Trim the edges of the cookie if needed, whether round or oval. Quickly transfer the molded dough onto a baking sheet that has parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
Bake Pan de San Nicolas at a preheated oven of 325 F degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or till top is brown.
When done, cool the cookies on a cookie rack. They will be crisp on the outside, but will have a slightly soft shortbread texture inside. It will take at least 30- 40 minutes for the cookies to cool on the rack. When Pan de San Nicolas cookies are cooled, wrap in white cellophane wrappers to show off the intricate designs. Store in an airtight glass or plastic jar.
RECIPE NOTES : The original recipe of Mrs. Borromeo called for 2 cups of arrow root flour (in the Philippines, it is 'uraru'). But it was not easy for me to obtain here in the USA, so I substituted Mochiko rice flour and regular cornstarch, and the recipe worked out well. If you find arrow root flour, use 2 cups in place of the rice flour and regular cornstarch.
* COOKIE MOLDS SUBSTITUTE : If you can't fly out to Asia and the Philippines right away to buy some antique cookie molds, try using springerle cookie molds which can be purchased online.
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Nutrition