polvorones Spanish Dust Cookies
Two versions
Ingredients:
2 lbs of all-purpose flour
1lb of lard
1lb of 10-x confectioners’ sugar
4 – 6 oz. almonds
1 small can of ground cinnamon (1 oz)
4 to 6 lemons –grated for their zest.
Preparation:
* -Brown the flour in a 325-degree oven until it turns a light beige color. Then sift.
* Add the lard to the warm flour and blend
* -Shell and peel almonds. (If you can get them already shelled and peeled, that’s less work).
* -Place almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven at the same 325-degrees. Being careful not to burn them. (They will taste terrible.) Do not overcook.
* -Set aside almonds to cool until they reach room temperature.
* -In your food processor reduce the almonds to a fine powder -- the consistency should be like the flour you are using. Do not over-blend or the almonds will become a paste.
* -Add the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest to the blended flour and lard mixture and mix really well. It should have a soft consistency
* -Shape. (We don't make round shapes as the ones sold by La Estepeña. They are oval with rounded ends -- about 2 1/2 inches long. Set aside.
* -Line a cookie sheet with brown paper (I actually use brown paper bags that does not have any printing on them or, if they do, I use the reverse side. I’m not sure why my mother used this, but I do know that it helps absorb some of the grease that is let out of the lard. I suppose you can use other liners if you want.)
* -Place the formed polverones on the paper, 8-9 in row
* -Beat an egg and brush all the tops to give them a glossy appearance.
* -Bake for only 10 minutes in the same 325˚F oven and remove from the oven. (They will look undercooked but they darken as they cool down.)
* -Cut tissue paper into 6” squares, (My mother always wrapped hers in white tissue paper, so that’s how I wrap mine.)
* When the polverones have cooled, wrap each one individually. ( My mother used to fringe both ends to make them fancy). Twist ends.
II.
Polvorones.- from the spanish word polvo, or dust-, are so named because they are stremely delicate and crumble easily. That is why they are often sold individually wrapped in tissue paper in pastry shops. Traditionally polvorones are made with lard, but butter also produces a wonderfully short cookie.
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar plus about 1 cup for dusting
1 eggs yolk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons brandy
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds (I did not use these)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
In a cup, stir together 1 tablespoon sugar egg yolk, lemon juice, and brandy until smooth. In a large bowl, combine flour with the anise, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt.
In a electric mixer, cream the butter well. Beat in the egg yolk mixture, then beat in half of the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, gradually incorporate remaining flour mixture.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Roll out the dought to about 3/8 inch thick on a floured surface. Using a 3-inch fluted-edge round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet about 30 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned and firm to the touch. Let cool about 2 minutes. Sift sugar onto a sheet of waxed paper. Dredge cookies in sugar. Arrange cookies on a serving plate and sut with remaining sugar. Makes 10 to 12 cookies.
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