Description
Mexican polvorones cookies blend crumbly, nutty almond textures with powdered sugar sweetness. Rich cultural traditions shine through delicate, melt-in-mouth pastries that welcome guests with warm hospitality.
Ingredients
Scale
- 50 g / ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp ground almonds
- 75 g / ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 75 g / ¼ cup + 2 tbsps granulated sugar
- 50 g / scant ¼ cup lard, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsps cinnamon
- Grated zest of ½ lemon
- 2 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Flour Transformation: Heat skillet to medium, continuously stir raw flour until it transforms into a golden-hued, nutty-scented powder. Spread across a wide platter, allowing complete cooling.
- Flavor Fusion: In a mixing bowl, combine ground almonds, salt, cinnamon, sugar, cooled roasted flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and lard. Blend ingredients with a delicate touch, preserving a tender consistency.
- Cookie Crafting: Mold uniform walnut-sized spheres using gentle hand pressure. Arrange these delicate rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, maintaining consistent spacing.
- Chilling Preparation: Refrigerate cookie batch for 30 minutes, enhancing structural integrity and flavor complexity.
- Baking Perfection: Preheat oven to 180°C. Position chilled cookies and bake 12-15 minutes, watching for a golden-edged transformation that signals culinary excellence.
- Finishing Touch: Extract from oven and pause briefly. Lavishly dust with powdered sugar, creating an ethereal white coating. Allow complete cooling before serving to maximize textural and flavor potential.
Notes
- Roast Flour Carefully: Continuously stir flour over medium heat to prevent burning, aiming for a golden color and nutty aroma. Cool completely before using.
- Handle Dough Gently: Mix ingredients delicately to maintain a tender cookie texture, avoiding overmixing that can toughen the final product.
- Chill for Better Texture: Refrigerating cookie dough for 30 minutes helps solidify structure, intensifies flavors, and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
- Watch Baking Time Closely: Bake until edges turn golden, typically 12-15 minutes, to achieve perfect doneness without over-browning.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 132
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg