Polvoron

This Filipino dish is something I have eaten the last couple of years, but never actually made it myself, so it is about time to try it out and share the results. A Polvoron is a cookie, a really amazing tasting cookie and as the name already might give away, it is a very powdery cookie. 

Originally the Polvoron comes from Spain and is traditionally made from September to January. The major difference between the Spanish and the Filipino version is that in Spain lard is used whereas in Philippines butter is used

Toasting the flour

The most well known ones here in Philippines are made by a company named Goldilock's and they taste amazingly good. It is something like the Halo Halo, I just need it to exist, I can eat them all the times......but careful, they do have a couple of calories.

Adding the milk powder

The making of these cookies is actually really, really easy, it just takes a little patience. They are not baked, but the flour is toasted in a dry pan, slowly toasted, that is where the patience comes in, don't go too high in the temperature just to push the process, the result will not be good as flour burns very easily in a hot pan. The flour has to be toasted as this cooking process will prevent the cookies to taste like just plain flour, but give them the typical Polvoron flavor 

Adding the sugar

Then when the flour is toasted one simply takes away the pan from the flame and adds the rest of the ingredients one by one. First the milk powder, then the sugar and at the end the butter. By then the mix should already be a little cold. Then the mix gets stirred till everything is nice and evenly crumbly.

Adding soft butter

At the end the mix gets pressed in the special Polvoron forms, this uses a little force as otherwise they will crumble when held with the fingers. If you don't have these forms just use a cookie cutter and press the mix in them.

Mixing well

I keep these cookies always in the fridge. The butter hardens and will hold the cookies better together, they will keep fresh as well as otherwise with the butter in the cookie, they would go off quite quickly when left outside.

The Polvoron moulds

Recipe
500 g Flour
500 g Milk Powder
500 g Sugar
300 g Butter

Method
Toast the flour in a hot pan till very light brown. The smell will be lovely when it is done, just a bit toasted in the nose
Remove pan from the heat
Add Milk powder and mix quickly
Add sugar and mix again
At the end add the butter which has to be room temperature
Now mix the whole thing thoroughly, best you a kitchen mixer
Press the mix in Polvoron forms
Leave over night in the fridge
Serve within a week of making