Spanish Lemon Polvorones Recipe

For those who love almonds, there's likely no better cookie choice than Spanish polvorones. As a type of shortbread cookie, even if you've never tried this Spanish treat, you're still likely familiar with the consistency of the rich cookie. One thing that sets Spanish polvorones apart, though, is the inclusion of almond flour in the recipe. 

"Traditionally, these are either just flavored with the almond flour or by adding cinnamon," explains recipe developer Jessica Morone, which makes them a popular choice during the winter and around the holidays. 

To add a twist, this version from Morone also adds lemon. "Making them lemon-flavored makes them brighter, and perfect for summery weather when you want treats that are lighter flavored," she says. 

One other thing you might want to try? Whipping up a gluten-free cookie, instead. While this recipe calls for a combo of almond flour and all-purpose flour, Morone says you could use all almond flour, instead. 

The ingredients you'll need for this cookie are pretty typical for a cookie recipe and should be available at any grocery store. In addition to the almond flour and lemons already mentioned, you'll also need to check your kitchen for all-purpose flour, sugar, unsalted butter, and salt. 

To have your ingredients ready to go when you need them, make sure your butter is at room temperature, and that the lemons have been juiced and zested. 

There's one special step in baking these cookies that you should consider part of your prep work. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 300 F. Mix the flours together and pour them evenly across a large baking sheet. When the oven is hot, place the pan inside and toast the flour for 20 minutes before removing the pan and allowing the flour to cool completely. 

"Toasting the flour and the almond flour in this recipe before adding them to the batter gives the flour a more nutty, complex flavor," Morone says. 

While the flour is cooling, go ahead and increase the oven's temperature to 350 F and prep two more baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. 

When the flour is cool, take a few minutes to sift the flour into a large bowl. This may seem like extra work, but Morone says it's an important step. "Sifting flour makes it lighter and removes the clumps so it is easier to mix together," she explains. Set the sifted flour aside. 

Using a spatula, stand mixer, or hand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter. When it's fluffy, add the salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and mix until they're well combined. 

To finish making the dough, pour in the flour and continue stirring until just combined. Be careful not to to over-mix, as that can over-activate the gluten, causing the cookies to become tough and chewy (in an unpleasant way) when baked. 

It's now time to roll out and cut your cookies. Make sure to use a lightly floured surface and a floured rolling pin to help keep the dough from sticking. Roll the dough out until it's about ½-inch thick. Then, use a 1½-inch round cookie cutter or round glass to cut out circles to make your cookie shapes. 

"You can use any shaped cookie cutter you want. The dough holds its shape well when you bake it. You just have to keep in mind that if you cut them into larger shapes you will have to cook them longer in the oven, and shorter for smaller shapes," Morone advises. She also adds that because the dough is more delicate than sugar cookie dough, if you're using cookie cutters with elaborate shapes, it's especially important to let the cookies cool completely before moving them so they don't break. 

Once you've cut your cookies, use a spatula to move them to the prepped baking sheets. Roll out any remaining dough scraps to continue cutting more cookies until you've used all the dough. 

When all the cookies are cut, place the baking sheets in the hot oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remember, if you used different shaped or sized cookie cutters, adjust the baking time accordingly.

After removing the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool before sprinkling them with the confectioner's sugar and serving. "I think these are great with a cup of coffee or tea. If you don't like hot beverages, these are good cookies to pair with milk," Morone says. 

And if you're someone who likes having a cookie every now and then, these are great to bake and store. "If you put these in an airtight container they actually last quite a while — up to a month," says Morone.