Yesterday was crazy! Tropical cyclone Egay hit parts of the country. In Ilocos, it rained the whole day. We felt at least two earthquakes at past nine o’clock in the evening, and then crazy winds left me worried. I hope everyone’s well.
While being holed up, the family made polvoron. Polvoron (sometimes spelled pulburon or polboron) is a favorite Filipino snack or dessert made of toasted flour, powdered milk, sugar and butter or margarine. The delicious crumbly sweets, likened to shortbread, can be traced to the Spanish colonization in the country.
I’m going to show you how to make basic traditional polvoron that I learned when I was little. Hahah, I think you will have to adjust the recipe ‘coz we made about 180 pieces, which is enough to start a home-based polvoron business. I used quality ingredients and premium butter, so the result should be much better than store-bought polvoron.
You will need the following:
- 1 k flour
- 7 cups powdered milk
- 6 cups white sugar
- 3 packages of 225 g butter
- 4 pcs cellophane wrapper (or Japanese paper) cut into smaller pieces, the size should be enough to cover one polvoron.
First, toast the flour in a large pan over medium heat. Break lumps and keep stirring until light brown. Set aside. Melt butter in another pan. In a large bowl, mix together cooled down flour, milk and sugar and pour melted butter starting on the center and mix thoroughly.
The next step will be shaping the polvoron. If you don’t have a polvoron molder, you can purchase one from craft and baking supplies stores. They are usually available in specialty stores in public markets here. Online, you can check stores like Amazon.
Transfer a portion of polvoron mixture into a medium sized bowl. Use the polvoron molder to scoop out mixture, press with pressure on the side or the center of the bowl. If you are the one pressing, you will be able to feel it if it’s dense or tight enough. Release and drop the polvoron carefully over the center of the wrapper. Gather the sides of the wrapper and fold, then fold the sides of each end upward and twist. Imagine wrapping a fragile gift.
Pistachios are my favorite nuts, so I thought of making a batch of polvoron with ground pistachios. Besides nuts, you can actually infuse dried fruits, cookie bits, Rice Krispies or even chocolate to make gourmetish polvoron.
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