It is Xmas time and all around the world we start looking in our grandma´s recipe book for the traditional and super loved family recipes.
In Spain we cook POLVORON. The first time any one wrote about polvorón was on the XVI century, it was an inventory of sweets that someone bought from the Convent of Santa Clara in the village of Estepa (near Seville). For many centuries, it was a humble treat that everybody loved. Kings, Bishops, and even Popes loved them. It was not until 1822 when it started to be sold in supermarkets., when a woman named Micaela Ruiz Téllez started its commercialization.
Although we can find polvorón all year around, it is a Xmas recipe. It is not too difficult to cook, but it has its tricks. I am going to attempt to prepare with my daughter my wife´s great-grandmother’s recipe. Let´s see how this goes…
Xmas cooking in the heart
You will need:
17 Oz. flour
6 Oz. lard (it could be unsalted butter)
6 Oz. powdered sugar
6 Oz. powdered almonds
½ Tb. Spoon of Vanilla Extract.
Check this video we did my daugter and myself cooking Polvorón. It was really an excuse to talk with her about how a 19 year old woman sees Spain.
FELIZ NAVIDAD!?
If you want to read more about Christmas in the BAsque country, here is a link to a couple of articles we have writen. It is Beguining to Look like Xmas & Olentzero, the Basque Santa
FELIZ NAVIDAD!?