Polvoron is
a sweet crumbly shortbread delicacy that originated from Spain. Polvoron
comes from the Spanish word, “polvo”,
which means powder or dust, aptly describing the consistency of the sweet delicacy. Polvoron has many variants around the world,
prominent mainly in all ex-Spanish colonies, like the Philippines. In Mexico and Spain, polvorons are meant for
special occasions and Christmas. In the
Philippines, it is an all-season delicacy served as dessert or simply consumed
as candies anytime of the day. Really, it's more fun in the Philippines!
My sweet skills crafted a gourmet
version of the basic
polvoron recipe. I
love
matcha or green tea so much, so I used it as the star flavor of my
polvoron. I wanted texture, so I added madamia nuts in
the recipe. I call this gourmet polvoron recipe as
Green Tea Macadamia Polvoron.
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| Pretty Green Tea Macadamia Polvorons |
Green Tea Macadamia Polvoron is
health-packed. The toasted flour, milk
and butter are fortified with vitamins, minerals and calcium. The green tea powder contains
L-Carnitine for
weight management. The macadamia nuts
are rich in anti-oxidants known to have anti-aging and heart-friendly properties. The
refined sugar provides a surge of
Endorphins-- the happy hormones. So, what more can you ask for? A food quote says,
you are what you eat. Therefore, Green Tea Macadamia polvoron makes
you healthy and happy.
Now, you may start being healthy and happy.
Ingredients:
150 g. all-purpose flour
150 g. full cream powder milk
125 g. (this is practically half of the ¼ kilo) refined white sugar
40 g (2 sachets @20 g. each) of instant green tea powder latte mix
50 g. macadamia nuts
Nutmeg
100 g. (this is practically half stick of the usual whole size) salted
or unsalted butter
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| The dry ingredients |
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| Opt for a butter that smells really good! |
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| Macadamia tastes like young coconut when raw |
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| Nutmeg gives that "bite" to sweet delicacies |
For stronger green tea flavor:
3 teaspoons of Japanese sweet green tea powder
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| Japanese sweet pure green tea powder |
Note:
The green tea latte instant mix (made in Malaysia),
Japanese sweet green tea powder and
Healthy You Raw Macadamia are all available in Robinson’s Supermarket (I bought
my stocks in Robinson’s Forum, Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City).
Procedures:
1. Set the stove on medium heat. On a regular skillet (I prefer this over the
non-stick pan because it toasts faster and crumblier), toast the flour. Keep on stirring with a spatula until the raw
flour odor disappears. Be careful though not to burn the flour by adjusting
the heat into low when the color starts to turn beige. The 150 grams of flour won’t take you more
than 5 minutes of toasting. Use your
instinct.
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| Flour turns beige when toasted just right |
2. Set aside the skillet with the toasted
flour, allow to cool down for 10 minutes.
3. While waiting for the toasted flour to cool
down, put the half stick butter into a ceramic bowl and put in the microwave
for 2 minutes on high setting. If butter
does not melt completely, microwave for another minute at medium setting. Do not burn the butter!
Safety tip: Wait for a minute before you take the bowl out
of the microwave. Make sure the microwave has completely shut
off. You don’t want to be accidentally splattered
with boiling melted butter.
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| Half stick butter in a ceramic bowl |
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| This is not egg yoke, this is melted butter! |
4. Set the butter aside and let cool.
5. When the toasted flour has completely cooled
down, on the same skillet, pour in the powder milk and refined sugar. Mix well with spatula.
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| Layers of toasted flour, milk and sugar |
6. Pour in the instant green tea latte mix (this is
a mild flavor and hardly noticeable). If
you prefer a stronger flavor of green tea, pour in 3 teaspoons of Japanese sweet
green tea powder. Mix well with spatula. The mixture should be greenish by now after
the mixing.
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| The mixture should turn greenish after adding the green tea powder |
7. Chop the macadamia nuts coarsely for texture. You have the option to chop it finely if you
prefer a smoother consistency.
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| The beautifully-chopped macadamia nuts |
8. Put the macadamia nuts in the flour-milk-sugar-green
tea mixture. Mix well with spatula. Put 3 short sprinkles of nutmeg in the
spatula. I just love the number, 3, as in 3 wishes. And I think the 3 sprinkles is just enough, not overpowering. Blend the ingredients well.
Tip: Do not sprinkle directly on the
mixture to avoid accidental over-pouring and ruining the taste of the mixture.
9. When everything has been blended well, create a
cavity in the center of the mixture and pour the melted butter.
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| It's easier to blend wet with dry ingredients when you create a cavity in the center |
10. Mix
everything well and make sure the butter has adhered to the dry ingredients.
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| The polvoron ready for setting in the refrigerator |
11. Put the mixture in a lock-and-lock container and
chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or longer. The butter should have sticked to the dry
mixture, making molding easier.
12. Mold the polvorons according to your desired shape
before covering with green candy cellophane.
Tip: Multi-color
candy cellophanes are available at National Bookstore.
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| Green Tea Macadamia Polvrons ready for the picking! |
Needless to speak, my mouth is full of crumbly dust of "delectableness". Green Tea Macadamia Polvoron-- you are so beautifood!
Do not be green with envy. Just go green! Make your own Green Tea
Macadamia polvorons!
