Pasencia Cookies

Let's be a little cultural for this post. Pasencia Cookies are filipino cookies that resemble "Nilla Wafers". I think I have had these Pasencia Cookies once before but that might have been a long time ago. So, while surfing the web, I randomly came across this recipe. Since it did look like a "Nilla Wafer" in their photo, I wondered if it would be the same, or even better than those famous "Nilla Wafers". I personally don't like "Nilla Wafers". I mean, there is nothing wrong with the flavor of them. However, whenever I buy a brand new bag and open it up, the cookies always seem to be stale. They aren't as "crispy" as I would like them to be. For instance, when you buy a package of Oreos, the cookies are always "crispy". Then over time, they become stale and have a "soggy-ness" to them. That "soggy-ness" is the same texture I find in a brand new bag of "Nilla Wafers". Does that happen to you? What do you think about "Nilla Wafers"? Leave a comment and tell me :)

Anyways, back to this Pasencia Cookie recipe. This recipe is fairly simple. The only hard part may be the whipping of the egg whites, especially if you're doing that by hand. Thank God for electric mixers! After that, it's pretty simple. Overall, the cookies did not taste like "Nilla Wafers". They tasted more along the lines of a roasted marshmallow with a chewy, sugar-y bite to them. Is it something you will crave? Don't think so. But, for it's simplicity, it has a good amount of flavor. Here's the recipe!

Pasencia Cookies
Ingredients
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 large egg whites
1/2 tsp lemon juice (or 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Directions
Preheat Oven to 275ºF

Prepare a half-sheet pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone.

Sift together 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and flour. Set aside until needed.

In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites until frothy. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Using a wide rubber spatula, fold in the sifted flour and confectioner's sugar. Continue folding until the flour and sugar are thoroughly absorbed and the meringue is smooth and glossy. When tilting the bowl, the meringue should
move sluggishly.

Deposit the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round pastry tip (about 1/4- to 1/2-inch opening). With the pastry tip perpendicular to the sheet pan, pipe 3/4-inch rounds spaced about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn light brown. Let the cookies cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the sheet pan. The cookies will be fragile while warm but will crisp as they cool.

-Aaron John
My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure
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