Biscoitos (Portuguese Cookies)

I grew up in Portugal, and always with my greatgrandmother in the house.  She was the matriarch, the one that oversaw the cooking and pretty much kept a close eye on everyone and everything that was going on.

While my parents had to work, it was my greatgrandma that watched us during the day, cooked our meals, waited for us at the door when we returned from school and then made dinner for everyone.

I learned a lot with her.

One of the fondest memories I have, are of these cookies sitting in a big glass jar.  There would be tons of these always available, and as we walked by the counter, my brothers and I would snatch a few to enjoy.

I will say that they are not very sweet at all, which to me is perfect as I much prefer simple cookies that I can have with a cup of coffee or tea. 

When I first made them, I was worried my husband and kids would not enjoy them, because they're not really the type of cookie they're used to, but they all love them just as much as I, and now I make sure to always have a batch on hand :)

I have my greatgrandma's recipe written down somewhere, just need to fish it out, but this recipe comes from Easy Portuguese Recipes.  It's pretty much the exact recipe that I have written down :)

Biscoitos

3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg for brushing on the cookie (or you can use milk if you prefer)


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Beat together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Add the eggs and the melted butter.  Pinch off small balls of dough, about an inch in size, then roll into a log and overlap the ends, making a bow.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. 

 
Brush the cookies with some beaten egg, or a little bit of milk if you prefer.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until cookies are brown.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Keep either in a glass container, or in a ziploc bag.  They will keep for quite a few weeks, but they don't usually last very long in my house.