An Andalusian Christmas sweet dating to the 16th century, with the town of Estepa famous for its production.
It barely survives the journey to your mouth before collapsing into a sandy, buttery rubble of toasted almond and warm cinnamon. Rich, dry, and lightly sweet, it begs for a sip of coffee or sweet wine. The tradition is to compress it in your palm first.
Toasting the flour removes raw taste and limits gluten, giving the signature sandy crumb, while the high lard content coats the flour particles so they crumble rather than bind. Ground almonds add richness and fat.
Variations
mantecados (rounder, various flavors); with lemon, chocolate, or coconut; olive-oil versions
On the Palate
Where Polvorones sits in the Spanish flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 20How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 112 min
Toast the flour in a dry oven or pan until lightly golden, then cool completely.
Watch outPull the flour the moment it smells nutty and barely tans — go darker and it turns bitter, and it must be fully cool before it meets the lard.
- 26 min
Toast and finely grind the almonds.
- 34 min
Beat softened lard with sugar until creamy.
Watch outBeat the lard and sugar until pale and fluffy — this air is what gives the cookie its melt-in-the-mouth crumble.
- 45 min
Mix in the toasted flour, ground almonds, and cinnamon to form a crumbly dough.
- 55 min
Press the dough flat and cut out oval or round shapes.
- 630 min
Chill the cut cookies so they hold together.
- 718 min
Bake in a moderate oven until just set and pale golden.
Watch outTake them out while still pale and only just firm — they set as they cool, and any browning means they've overbaked and will crack.
- 85 min
Cool fully, then dust heavily with powdered sugar.
