Spanish Almond Polvorones

If it’s a bang for your buck you want, these Spanish Almond Polvorones are just the thing! And it doesn’t get any simpler than butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, almond flour, and cinnamon. Don’t bother with fancy decoration! Dust these cookies with confectioner’s sugar only because perfection doesn’t need to be prettied!

Spanish Almond Polvorones are a type of shortbread cookies that is quite heavy for a cookie, but is very soft and crumbly too. From the Spanish word for powder or dust, these cookies are a popular holiday delicacy in not only Spain but also in the Philippines and other Spanish-influenced countries around the world. The great thing about this cookie is the simplicity of it. That greatness is only matched by the texture and flavour – especially when you bite into one and they essentially melt in your mouth.

These cookies are perfect for sharing. They pack well and will keep fresh for a few days in a cookie bag or box. Not only should these cookies be a part of your 2024 holiday baking, but make them a part of your annual cookie baking or giveaway too. Every year, we make up boxes or bags of cookies to share with neighbours. It’s so much work, but I love doing it. Nobody will get any of these though, because we ate them already!

Our neighbours, Melissa, Adrian, and little Augustus and Holland dropped by last Christmas Eve with a plate of homemade shortbread. And, they were all decorated by Augustus. (Holland didn’t care to decorate, mostly because she was only a month old at the time!) Anyway, the cookies were plated nicely on this handmade platter you see here in the photos. I thought the plate worked very well to showcase these polvorones!

When you get to the ingredients list below, I want you to pay really close attention to the amounts listed. I know some people try to bake like they cook – a little bit of this, some of that, etc. – but, baking is an exact science. Unless you are really well versed in baking, stick to the recipe as is, and more importantly, measure everything precisely!

I’m going to tell you all about this cookie recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the cookie recipes! Before I get into today’s recipe, let me make mention of the three previous holiday confection countdowns that I just finished up this year.

Back in October, I kicked off the holiday season with a holiday recipe series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifle Series and followed that up with a second series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves. Next was my 12 Squares and Bars Series, which was Volume 2 of that particular series.  

And now, I’m starting on this new series, which is the seventh annual instalment! I cannot believe that this is the seventh year in a row that I’ve shared Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas! But, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 24 COOKIES OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the fourth of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! This one is called Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas – Volume 7! I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy, just like in previous years. Even if a recipe looks complex, I promise you that it is not! My goal, as always, is to share recipes with you that are not too complex to whip up as a holiday treat for your family.

Like every other holiday series I’ve shared over the years, this series will share a new recipe every day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas series! Even though this is the fourth series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Sugar 
• Almond Extract – This extract certainly makes up the bulk of the flavour. If you don’t have any, you can use all vanilla extract instead.
• Almond Flour – Please read the section below!
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Confectioner’s Sugar

GROUND ALMONDS OR ALMOND FLOUR

Ground almonds will not work well in this recipe. Almond flour is extremely fine in comparison to ground almonds. The fine texture of the almond flour is what makes this cookie hold together well. Using ground almonds instead will most certainly make the dough much harder to work with. In addition, you’ll lose that texture. You can read more about the two here.

Be wary of defatted almond flour! Some almond flour products are made from defatted ground almonds. Defatting is a process where nuts are pressed to squeeze out the oil, which is most likely sold as a separate product. The end product is drier which allows a much finer degree of grinding. The texture of defatted almond flour is very fine – pretty much the same as that of traditional grain-based flour. We don’t want that here!

Differences in texture and fat content can greatly affect your baking. If you use defatted almond flour instead of “real” almond flour in a recipe, it will produce drastically different results. The amount of moisture in the batter is one of the key factors that affect baking results. Due to defatting, there is a lot less moisture in the almond flour.

Drying out is another point to consider. Unlike traditional grain flour, nut flour like almond flour can dry out quite easily. Age, exposure to air, storage conditions and temperature all play a part. So, all of this just to say, use a trusted almond flour – one that has not been defatted!

HOW TO MAKE SPANISH ALMOND POLVORONES

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the almond extract. Transfer the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Beat to combine.

Gather the dough together and roll to 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut out desired shapes. (Shapes should be at least 1 inch in diameter.) Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are slightly browned.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheets. Once completely cooled, dust with confectioner’s sugar and transfer to a cookie tin or jar.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for a long time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Spanish Almond Polvorones, you certainly can! Pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer-friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!