Polvorones de Cacahuate (Mexican Peanut Shortbread Cookies)
These traditional Mexican cookies, known as polvorones de cacahuate, are delightfully crumbly and rich with peanut flavour. The dough combines ground peanuts, flour, and shortening to create a thick, satisfying shortbread texture. After a brief chill, the cookies are shaped and baked until just golden. The recipe yields about 40 pieces, making them ideal for gatherings or festive occasions. They require roughly 130 minutes from start to finish, including preparation and cooling time.
Ingredients
- 2 cups salted cocktail peanuts
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
- 2 2/3 cups vegetable shortening
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method
- Position two oven racks in the upper middle and lower middle of your oven. Heat the oven to 300°F. Prepare two large baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
- Place the peanuts and 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar into a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it becomes coarsely ground and has a crumbly texture.
- Using a large bowl, combine the shortening with the rest of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat them together on a low setting for 30 to 60 seconds until incorporated. Then, increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating for about 1 minute until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixer speed back to low. Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and the ground peanut mixture. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is fully combined, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl's bottom and sides as needed.
- Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Form the chilled dough into balls measuring 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange them on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Gently press down on each ball with your fingertips to flatten it to a thickness of 1/2 inch.
- Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes. They are ready when they appear dry and just start to brown on the bottoms. Remember to rotate the sheets and swap their positions halfway through the baking time.
- Move the baking sheets to wire cooling racks. Allow the cookies to cool completely, which will take about 30 minutes, before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Sodium2142000 mg
Recipe details
CategoryCookies
Cuisinelatin american
AuthorMaría del Mar Cuadra
