Polvorones Cookies

10 servings

120 minutes

The homeland of polvorones is Andalusia. Although almost all sweets from the south of Spain have Arabic or Moorish roots, these shortbread cookies are beyond suspicion: the dough for them is kneaded with lard, which proves their impeccable Christian pedigree . It is not for nothing that the round shape of the cookies resembles church wafers: the most famous polvorones are made in a monastery in the town of Estepa and are sent out in cardboard boxes throughout the country before the holidays. The secret of polvorones is that the fragile cookies should literally explode in the mouth and crumble into elementary particles (polvo in Spanish means "dust", and polvorа means "gunpowder"). A typical Spanish children's joke is to put a whole cookie in your mouth and try to say "pamplona", try it - it's really funny .

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 564.1
• Proteins: 9.1g
• Fats: 31.1g
• Carbohydrates: 66.8g

Ingredients

• Lard: 250 g
• Almond flour: 125 g
• Powdered sugar: 250 g
• Wheat flour: 500 g
• Chocolate: 30 g
• Cocoa powder: 2 tbsp
• Ground cinnamon: 1 tsp

Cooking steps

1. A day before preparation, spread almond and sifted wheat flour on a baking sheet and place it in a preheated oven at 160 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. The flour should become dry and slightly darken. Let it cool completely and leave it for a day.

   Required ingredients:

   • Almond flour: 125 g
   • Wheat flour: 500 g

2. Take the lard out of the fridge in advance to soften it. Whip the lard until it becomes light and fluffy.

   Required ingredients:

   • Lard: 250 g

3. While continuing to whisk, gradually add powdered sugar in a thin stream.

   Required ingredients:

   • Powdered sugar: 250 g

4. Then add flour and cinnamon. Knead the dough.

   Required ingredients:

   • Wheat flour: 500 g
   • Ground cinnamon: 1 teaspoon

5. Once the dough is uniform, divide it into two parts, mixing melted chocolate and cocoa into one.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chocolate: 30 g
   • Cocoa powder: 2 tablespoons

6. Roll both parts into a ball, wrap in film, and refrigerate for an hour.

7. Remove the dough. Place it between two sheets of baking paper and roll it out to a thickness of 1–1.5 cm.

8. Cut round cookies with a diameter of 5 cm using a glass or ring.

9. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes, the cookies should turn golden but not burn.

10. Remove the cookies, carefully take them off the tray, and let them cool completely. Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

    Required ingredients:

    • Powdered sugar: 250 g