I can’t believe I’m baking my Venezuelan almond cookies (aka polvorosas de almendra.) I say this because today begins what is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for me. So, baking these delicious almond “polvorositas” is a true luxury.
Note: This recipe is part of a partnership with Verizon’s Care Smart. Thanks to the Amazon Associates Program and other affiliate programs, I receive compensation for the products sold through the affiliate links in this post at no cost to the buyer.
Time to be thankful…
Along with the two weeks leading up to Christmas and the week we celebrate Thanksgiving, this is my busiest season. I’m in the midst of a true cooking frenzy. It happens to all of us who made our way of life in the kitchen.
I want to pause and express gratitude. 2020 has tested us all. It has hit us hard. And made us put things in perspective. And yet, there are many reasons to be thankful.
As my thing is cooking and sharing recipes, my way to say thank you and celebrate the most beautiful time of the year is with this Venezuelan almond cookies recipe.
These cookies are called polvorosas, metaphorically meaning they are made out of dust. They are so delicious that you can’t stop eating them once you start.
Before I get into business, I also want to thank Care Smart. My partnership with Verizon’s new smartwatch allowed me to take a break and bake these cookies. So, please keep reading because I’ll tell you everything about my Care Smart at the end of this post.
Almond polvorosas: a tradition made into a cookie
And now, back to business. Like so many other things, I learned to make these delicious cookies with Piedad de Julio. The last time Piedad made them for me was 19 years ago when my son Andrés Ignacio was born.
She sent them from the Hacienda Santa Teresa, in Aragua state, in the heart of Venezuela, my home country. They came in a giant can with more than 200 cookies!
That’s how I had the most delicious homemade morsels to treat those who visited me in the Caracas hospital to meet my first boy.
Venezuelan almond cookies: the perfect gift
I have treasured this almond polvorosas recipe for almost 20 years. I baked them as part of the petit furs I served when Christened my two boys.
Here in America, I bake them whenever a friend has a baby or when they baptize them. They are perfect for first communion gatherings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and weddings.
I also bake them on demand for Christmas. I swear they are Santa’s favorite cookies. That’s what my kids have always said.
By the way, although both my boys refuse to speak Spanish, they pronounce the word pol-vo-ro-sa perfectly and with no English accent. They even ask to bake them to give them away on special occasions.
Polvorosas or polvorones?
These polvorosas are the first cousins of the Spanish polvorones. They owe their name to the dusty quality of their dough. They melt in the mouth.
The dough does not contain eggs or any binding element except fat. So these almond cookies are delicate and fall apart just by looking at them. That’s why you must make them in small sizes without manipulating them much.
What is true is that these almond cookies are one of those secret pleasures I enjoy secretly and in silence. If I make a lot of noise, they will literally fly.
My children adore them, and I don’t know anyone who resists them. When I give them away, I always remain regal!
How to make gluten-free almond cookies
These polvorosas have gluten because I make them with all-purpose flour. I think you can substitute this flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour. I may try the substitution one of these days, and I’ll tell you.
Making them without sugar is another story. I have not yet found a sugar substitute that convinces me.
How to make almond flour
Pilar’s recipe is made with almonds that are first blanched and then roasted in the oven. Since almond flour is now in everyday use, and you can find it anywhere, I make my polvorosas with it.
If you don’t have almond flour on hand, you can make it as follow:
- Use almonds that have been blanched and then toasted in a 300F oven for about 5-8 minutes.
- While the almonds are baking, it is good to stir them to prevent them from burning.
- To grind the almonds, you must wait for them to cool completely. Then process them in a food processor until they get the right texture.
- While processing, be careful not to over-process. Otherwise, the almonds could become butter.
How to make Venezuelan almond cookies
To make this recipe, you will need the following utensils and ingredients:
- Food processor
- Film plástico
- Rodillo
- Icing spatula
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheets
- Fine mesh strainer
- All-purpose flour
- Almond flour
- Shortening
- Sugar
- Confectioners sugar
The following is Piedad’s recipe. I hope you like it as much as I do. Please subscribe to my Youtube channel and visit my Amazon store. One more time, thanks to Care Smart and Verizon for sponsoring me.
Venezuelan Almond Cookies or Polvorosas de almendra
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- powdered sugar to dust
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In the bowl of a food processor, place all the ingredients except the powdered sugar. Process until well combined.
- With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a smooth work surface until it is ¼-inch thick.
- With a round cookie cutter, cut the “polvorosas,” and with the help of a spatula, carefully place them on the baking tray.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Cool down completely, and sift powdered sugar on top.
Video
Nutrition
Notes
- If you don’t have almond flour on hand, you can use almonds that have been blanched and then toasted in a 300F oven for about 5-8 minutes.
- While the almonds are being toasted, it is good to stir them to prevent them from burning.
- To grind the almonds, you must wait for them to cool completely. Then process them in a food processor until they get the right texture.
- While processing, be careful not to over-process. Otherwise, the almonds could become butter.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @enrilemoine on Instagram and hashtag it #byenrilemoine. Thank you!
A unique gift for the seniors
You may wonder what Care Smart is. And I will tell you that it is a watch and a service specially designed for the health and safety of the elderly and to provide peace of mind to their caregivers.
It is waterproof, includes a phone number, and has a GPS. I have been using it for a month and am fascinated. Not only is it super cool and weightless, but it is also very easy to use.
Among other things, it allows me to:
- Make calls to 10 of my most important contacts. I can also receive calls from those contacts and send and receive text messages.
- Count the steps that I walk daily. This has helped me move a little more to reach my goal of 12 thousand steps daily.
- Picking my favorite ringtones and setting alarms and reminders, including 12 glasses of water to drink daily, important calls to make, medical appointments, and even taking breaks to get up and stretch while working on the computer.
- Give peace of mind to my children, who now know where I am at all times.
- Limit the time I spend “glued” to my cell phone. You can’t imagine the happiness I experience when every week my phone tells me that my screen time has decreased by so many percent compared to the previous week. Bingo!
- And last, my Care Smart allows me to get out of my house or car with fewer things in hand. This is another wonder, especially in the times we live in, because when I go, for example, to the supermarket, I only carry my purse and car key. This way, I won’t risk leaving my phone misplaced or contaminating it.
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