Polvorones or Mexican Wedding cookies are one of those food’s that know no boundaries or country borders, making this just one of those many dishes where the border between borders, cultures or languages is blurred when it comes to food.
For example, New Zealand and Australia have had an ongoing argument for decades over who first invented the pavlova. Or the pastry more commonly and widely known as French palmiers is called schweine ohren in Germany – I grew up thinking they were German. With the world becoming multicultural, where dishes originate and how they become loved in other lands gives them new life and often create a comfort for people in the places these dishes find themselves, like these buttery polvorones.
I’d never heard of Mexican wedding cookies, though they aren’t found as far south as New Zealand and then I did a little research. That name in fact stems from America and you can buy them readily at the supermarket. However, Mexican’s don’t eat these cookies at weddings, no, in fact they aren’t even considered a specialty and more of an everyday baked good.
To Mexican’s these cookies are named Polvorones instead of the American named Mexican Wedding Cookies and in their homeland they come in a variety of flavors and are eaten on a daily basis. These are extremely addictive and my father who visited while these were on the bench managed to eat six in quick succession while I consumed three before making myself walk away. Good luck trying to only eat one of these, you’ll find yourself returning to them.
If you were to visit a Mexican grocer in America these would be stored unassumingly with the Tres Leches Cake and other desserts, and those who haven’t tried these would bypass them with their plain exterior and small size, but these are moreish with it almost impossible to only eat one.
These have their origins in Spain and can also be found in the Philippines with ‘polvo’ portion of polvorones meaning powder or dust and are a type of shortbread, though are very different from the Scottish type of traditional shortbread you will likely have tried before with finely chopped nuts necessary to make these traditional, with walnuts or almonds being found in these.
Polvorones – Mexican Wedding Cookies
Adapted from A Second Helping, More from Ladies A Plate book
Makes 25
Ingredients:
225 grams/7.9 ounces butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner’s/icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 1/2 – 2 cups confectioner’s/icing sugar
Directions:
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 200°C/400F.
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute.
Sift in the flour, and add the salt and walnuts.
Mix until well combined and refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Remove and take a tablespoon amount, placing into your hand and rolling into a smooth ball. If the mixture sticks, return to the refrigerator for a further 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
.jpg)
Place in the oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes or slightly brown on the edges.
Remove and allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to the cooling tray.
Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a shallow dish and roll each cookie in the confectioner’s sugar carefully while still warm (the buttery sugar will stick to your fingers so it’s easiest to place the cookie on the flat side down and rolling the top last, carefully picking up from the base).
Return to the cooling rack and repeat the confectioner’s sugar process twice more while allowing to cool to room temperature.
Serve and enjoy.
Polvorones – Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Makes 25 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Buttery traditional Mexican Polvorones come together quickly and are the perfect bite sized treat.
Ingredients
225 grams/7.9 ounces butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner’s/icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 1/2 – 2 cups confectioner’s/icing sugar
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 200°C/400F.
- Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute.
- Sift in the flour, and add the salt and walnuts.
- Mix until well combined and refrigerate for 5 minutes.
- Remove and take a tablespoon amount, placing into your hand and rolling into a smooth ball. If the mixture sticks, return to the refrigerator for a further 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Place in the oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes or slightly brown on the edges.
- Remove and allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to the cooling tray.
- Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a shallow dish and roll each cookie in the confectioner’s sugar carefully while still warm (the buttery sugar will stick to your fingers so it’s easiest to place the cookie on the flat side down and rolling the top last, carefully picking up from the base).
- Return to the cooling rack and repeat the confectioner’s sugar process twice more while allowing to cool to room temperature.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Adapted from A Second Helping, More from Ladies A Plate book
