polvorones cookie bar


You’ve heard of polvorón, right?
Every Filipino child, past and present, knows what a polvoron is. I’d say that this generation is lucky enough to have the opportunity to sample a wide variety. The most commercially known are the ones sold in every Goldilocks bakeshop. I’m certain however that there are more of these specialty shops out there who grew its increasing number of customers solely through word of mouth ( and perhaps through food bloggers like myself). I have yet to sample their polvoron but I’m sure they’re out there.
I won’t consider myself to have an special affinity (read: addiction) towards these sweet treat. I like it, that’s a fact. The polvoron and I prefer to meet once or twice a year. Like a meeting of long lost friends or lovers making the union feel refreshing, renewed and rejuvenating. It’s like falling inlove. I’m romanticizing, uh, before I go chanel cupid let’s go back to my main topic.
I’ve been considering making polvoron for my little pals (Vince, Dian, Hanna and Kevin) as their summer break treat but I didn’t realize it would be difficult looking for a traditional recipe.
I wanted to make something that isn’t like the ones sold in sari-sari stores OR the ones from Goldilocks. So, by the power vested in me, I searched online for an alternative treat and there it is. Popping in on my screen like a rabbit out of a magician’s hat.
I found one from Spicie Foodie’s April post. I had to make changes in her procedure and recipes due to my limited kitchen equipment namely: oven. I know, I’ve been complaining about that busted oven since last year’s oatmeal cookie and red velvet cake failure but it is not wise for us to buy a new oven since I’ll barely use it anyway.
So yes, I used an oven toaster. Please check Spicie Foodie’s site for the oven baked recipe, if you’d prefer that.
Here’s my version.

polvoron cookie bar


Polvorone cookie bars (with chocolate cookies)
makes 16-18 bars
1 cup flour (approx value)
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
¼ cup powdered sugar***
Pinch of salt
6 pcs chocolate cookies, omit the cream filling (oreos, crumbled THEN powdered)
2 tbsp powdered milk
Procedure:*
In a large bowl, mix the flour, powdered sugar, pinch of salt, powdered chocolate cookies and powdered milk. Then add unsalted melted butter.
Line the small oven toaster tray with parchment paper. In the center of the tray, gather a small amount of the crumbly dough into a cookie cutter to shape your polvoron, press gently so it contains its shape.
*My oven toaster was a bit smaller than (about 4.5″ X 7.5″) most so I can only make at five each time.
**Please test at least one cookie first. I didn’t have a digitally measured heat so I timed the cookies to cook in 5 minutes (+ 2 minutes cooling time in the toaster). Spicie Foodie’s recipe stated she pre heated the oven at 180°C then baked at 8-10 minutes.
The polvoron should come out holding its’ shape but still soft and crumbly when eaten. That’s how you’d know you’ve made it right. Just a reminder whether you’re using the traditional oven or the unconventional oven toaster like I did, should you bake some more, take notice of the residual heat from the oven first.
Continue baking until you’ve used up all the crumbly dough.When your done baking and cooling, wrap the cookies in colorful cellophane wrap or Japanese papers.
*** I find that powdered sugar is the best way to control the sweetness of this polvoron version.
I have here a piece of information that you might find useful.

polvoron info


And yes, the kids loved it, specially Vince. I think Vince is my biggest fan. His mother said that he eats every and any type of food I feed him even if he normally doesn’t eat them. Isn’t that the nicest compliment of all? I remember one time when he ate a big fat piece of bitter gourd and red pepper egg roll and asked for more. Oh that was a surprise for his mother and I he was around 2 1/2 year old  that time.