Pueblo Feast Day Cookies

I’m not a big cookie person. To be honest, I’d rather go elbow deep in a bowl of buttery, salty popcorn, but it’s almost Christmas, which to me means making feast day cookies.

Feast Day cookies are a Pueblo tradition handed down from my grandma, to my mom and then to me. Feast Day cookies were made on feast days like Easter, Kings’ Day and of course, Christmas.

These cookies probably aren’t what you’re used to. They’re similar to snickerdoodles, but they aren’t very sweet. These are the cookies of poor people. To give you an idea: I once asked my grandma what the Depression was like on the reservation and she said she didn’t even know it happened, that’s how poor they were. When I bake these, I think of her.

Feast Day Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup of lard
  • 3/4 cup of sugar and 2 tsp for sprinkling
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp for sprinkling
  • 2 cups of flour*
  • 2 tbsp of baking powder
  • 1 tbsp of vanilla
  • 1/3 cup of milk

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 sugar and lard.
  3. Add egg and blend thoroughly.
  4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon, blending thoroughly.
  5. Gradually add milk until a stiff dough is formed.
  6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board to 1/2 inch thickness.
  7. Cut using a jar, slice in half and score with a fork to create a sun pattern.**
  8. Sprinkle the tops with a mixture and cinnamon.
  9. Bake the cookies on a well-greased baking sheet for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  10. Cool on a rack.
  11. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

*If you need a gluten-free recipe, I’ve tried these cookies with Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free flour and it works great!

*You could definitely cut these out with a cookie cutter, but this is how my grandma decorated the cookies. I have no idea if the sun pattern is symbolic or she just didn’t have any cookie cutters! Haha!

This blog post is part of a Holiday Cookie Blog Hop! Check out the other participants and their cookie recipes below:

I hope you all have the best holiday!

12 thoughts on “Pueblo Feast Day Cookies”

  1. Fuller Watts Crowley

    Oooo, what a lovely recipe! I’ll try this over the holidays. I like the not-very-sweet part especially, and the sun design seems so traditional, like giving thanks to the sun. Or as you said, your grandma just didn’t have cookie cutters.:)

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  5. Heather

    What a lovely story behind the cookies. I’d like to try the GF version. Stupid question, but is Crisco shortening considered lard? Or could be used in place of lard?

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