Polvoron: An Authentic Christmas Day Dessert
Spanish polvorones are traditional shortbread-like cookies that are popular during the Christmas season and other special occasions. Here's a basic recipe for making polvorones:
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 1 cup Ground almonds (or almond meal)
- 1 cup Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Fround cinnamon (optional)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toast the ground almonds (or almond meal) in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until they turn a light golden brown. Stir them constantly to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let them cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the toasted ground almonds, powdered sugar, and all-purpose flour. If you want to add a hint of cinnamon, you can also include it at this stage.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. You can use a pastry cutter or your hands to work the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the vanilla extract to the mixture and continue to work the dough until it comes together. It should be a crumbly but cohesive mixture.
- Take small portions of the dough and shape them into round or oval cookies. You can use a polvoron mold, a cookie cutter, or shape them by hand. The traditional shape is oval, and you can use a wooden mold for this.
- Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies start to turn a pale golden color. Be careful not to overbake them; they should remain relatively pale in color.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
- Once the polvorones have completely cooled, dust them generously with powdered sugar.
- Store the polvorones in an airtight container. They will keep well for several weeks.
Notes
Enjoy your homemade Spanish polvorones! These delicate and crumbly cookies are a delightful treat for any occasion.