"Mantecados" de Estepa (shortbread cookies made with floor)

Celebrations in Spain, just as in other gastronomic cultures of the world, are closely associated with certain sweet recipes. Christmas, for example, has its own desserts that don't tend to be eaten during the rest of the year. Besides turrón, other traditional sweets for this festive period include: marzipan (a paste made from almonds, sugar, and eggs), which carries a quality mark in Toledo; "mantecados" or shortbread cookies made with flour, lard, and sugar, which also have Protected Geographical Indication status; and "polvorones," which are similar to these but made with almonds.