Condensed milk cookies: easy, high yield and delicious

Condensed milk cookies: easy, high yield and deliciousThese homemade cookies are made with a base of wheat flour, vegetable shortening, and condensed milk, along with vanilla extract. The dough is shaped by hand, allowing you to make small pieces to enjoy with coffee or to share.Although the recipe is known as « 3-ingredient cookies, » this version includes vanilla as the fourth ingredient. Preparation is simple: combine, shape, and bake, without overworking the dough.Approximate yield: about 100 cookies, depending on portion size. The original text uses a 7.5 ml measuring spoon as a reference.Ingredients1 kg of wheat flour, previously sifted.500g of vegetable shortening.375 g of condensed milk.1 teaspoon of vanilla essence, or to taste.For decorating, as you preferColored sprinkles.Jam suitable for baking.Sugar mixed with cinnamon.The decorations are optional. You can also leave the cookies plain to enjoy the flavor of the dough with condensed milk and vanilla.Step-by-step preparation1. Combine the flour and vegetable shorteningPlace the sifted flour in a large bowl. Add the vegetable shortening and begin to combine both ingredients with your hands.Work in different areas of the bowl, scraping up the flour from the bottom and sides. Break up any remaining bits of butter until you have a smooth mixture.In this first stage, make sure to distribute the butter evenly throughout the flour. There’s no need to knead intensely; the goal is simply to incorporate both ingredients before adding the condensed milk.2. Add the condensed milk and vanillaAdd the 375g of condensed milk and the teaspoon of vanilla essence.Mix with your hands until the ingredients are combined and form a smooth, firm, and even dough. It may look uneven at first, so gather any loose bits and gently combine them.Knead only until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Once you can take a portion and shape it without it falling apart, avoid overworking the dough.Do not automatically add extra flour. The desired texture is firm and manageable, without drying out the preparation.3. Shape the cookiesTake small portions of dough and form into balls. You can use the 7.5 ml measuring spoon as a reference to maintain a similar size.Try to fill the spoon evenly for each portion. This will help you get uniform pieces and will make cooking easier.Place the balls directly onto an ungreased baking sheet. Leave approximately 1.5 cm of space between each cookie.Manipulate each portion just enough to shape and smooth its surface, without compressing or overworking it.4. Choose the finishYou can bake the whole batch without decoration or prepare different finishes with the options indicated.With colored sprinkles: place them on the cookies before baking. Press gently so they adhere to the surface without deforming the cookies.With jam: Make a small cavity in the center of each ball and add baking-safe jam. Avoid piercing the base when making the cavity and keep the filling inside.With sugar and cinnamon: bake the cookies without this coating. Wait until they are completely cool before dipping them in the mixture.If you prefer a simple finish, leave the balls as they are and continue with the baking.5. Bake until lightly golden brownPreheat the oven for approximately 10 minutes, at 180 °C.Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Use the time as a guide and check the color towards the end of baking.Keeping the pieces roughly the same size helps them finish at the same time. Aim for a light golden hue, without waiting for the entire surface to darken.6. Let it cool completelyRemove the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool completely before lifting them. While they are still warm, handle them as little as possible to help them keep their shape.Once they’re cool, carefully remove them. If you chose the sugar and cinnamon topping, roll them in the mixture at this point.