Espécies de São Jorge — Portuguese horseshoe cookies — carry the flavors of one small Azorean island in one small curved cookie: lemon, cinnamon and a whisper of anise in a tender dough, dusted with powdered sugar.
On São Jorge itself, the traditional espécies are intricate filled pastries whose lattice tops take practiced hands; this horseshoe version is the approachable home rendition that keeps the island’s spice signature without the apprenticeship.
They are festival cookies by heritage and coffee cookies by daily practice — and the horseshoe shape is said to bring luck, which has never hurt a cookie’s popularity.
Portuguese Horseshoe Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 15 minutes · Total: 35 minutes · Servings: 8 · Calories: ~268 per serving
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon (or orange)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and lemon zest.
- Work in the dry ingredients until a soft, pliable dough forms — chill 15 to 20 minutes if sticky.
- Roll tablespoons of dough into 4-inch ropes and curve each into a horseshoe, spacing them an inch apart.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges turn lightly golden.
- Cool 5 minutes on the sheets, finish on a rack, and dust generously with powdered sugar.
Recipe Notes
- A pinch of ground anise in the dough moves them closer to the São Jorge original.
- Orange zest instead of lemon is a worthy variation.
- They keep a week in a tin — and ship well to homesick Azoreans, speaking from experience.
I tried to follow the recipe, but I couldn’t find anywhere how to make the cookie dough, the base for the spices.
Hi! Being that many Flemish moved to the Acores, I went in search of a Flemish dessert which resembles our beloved especie. I found a similar recipe. It’s called Liers Vlaaike and is from the Flemish town Liers. The filling also uses bread crumbs and spices and the “crust” is similar but shaped into a small tartlet shape. Interesting history.