Mexican Polvorones

These shortbread cookies are soft, crumbly and delicious!

Polvorón from “Polvo” Spanish word for powder or dust are popular holiday delicacies in all Spain and its former colonies in Latin America.

This is the perfect cookie to add to your tray this holiday season.

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon chopped nut

2⁄3 cup lard

2 teaspoon of powdered Mexican cinnamon

3 1⁄2 cup sifted flour

1⁄2 cup sugar

1 pinch salt

1/3-cup dry liqueur

You can also add fine chopped nuts or other flavorings as orange or lemon grind if desired.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grind almonds to a fine paste in egg yolk set to the side.

Cream lard with cinnamon, set to the side.

Sift flour with powder sugar and salt onto table or marble slab.

Make a hollow in center of flour and pour in the other ingredients.

If you choose to add extra nuts or flavorings, this is the time to do so and blend well with hands.

The dough should be very stiff, If too crumbly to handle, blend in a little more liquor or water.

Roll out 1/3 inch thick on floured surface and cut with a cookie cutter or use your “Polvorón or Mazapan” mold.

Bake on floured cookie sheets in 325 F oven for 20 minutes or until firm to touch.

The cookies will be done when they barely begin to turn brown (they should not be allowed to brown).

Happy Baking

Chef Martin Lopez

ChefMartinLopez.com