Polvorones de nuez
Pecan butter cookies
Polvorones: crumbly Mexican pecan butter cookies rolled in powdered sugar
Christmas cookie tins, wedding tables and bakery counters all over northern and central Mexico hold polvorones, small domes of toasted pecan shortbread that crumble to dust in the mouth, which is how they got their name. They are rolled twice in icing sugar, once warm and once cold, so they look snowy. Old recipes used lard; this one uses butter, so it is vegetarian, and it contains wheat and tree nuts. Chef's tip: toast the pecans first, which turns a plain cookie into a deeply nutty one.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 4 oz pecans
- 8 oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 9 oz plain flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
To coat
- 3 ½ oz icing sugar
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F. Toast 4 oz pecans on a tray for 7 minutes until fragrant, cool, then chop very finely or pulse to coarse crumbs.
10 minStep 2: Beat 8 oz unsalted butter, 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract until creamy. Mix in 9 oz plain flour, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and the pecans to a soft dough.
5 minStep 3: Roll into 24 balls of about 25 g and set 3 cm apart on lined trays. If the kitchen is warm, chill the tray for 15 minutes so they hold their shape.
15 minStep 4: Bake 13–15 minutes until the bottoms are light golden; the tops stay pale. Overbaking is the usual mistake and makes them dry rather than melting.
15 minStep 5: Cool 5 minutes, then roll gently in 3 ½ oz icing sugar while warm. When completely cold, roll again for a thick white coat. Store in a tin for up to 2 weeks.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does polvorones de nuez take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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