Spanish Almond Cookie (Polvorones)

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/22/21
Spanish almond cookies recipe

The Spruce / Teena Agnel

Prep: 2 hrs 20 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 2 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
400 Calories
27g Fat
36g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 400
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 34%
Saturated Fat 8g 42%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 4mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 43mg 3%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 126mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Rich, crumbly polvorones or almond cookies are a delicious shortbread-style cookie, especially popular with Spaniards during the Christmas season. You can find raw almonds in the bulk section of your supermarket—it's best to buy in larger quantities since this recipe requires about 1 pound of almonds. 

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Gather the ingredients
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  2. Grind almonds in a food processor.

    Grind almonds in food processor
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  3. In a large mixing bowl, cut the vegetable shortening into the granulated and powdered sugars.

    Cut vegetable shortening into sugar
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  4. Add the ground almonds, almond extract, and cinnamon. Mix to combine.

    Round almonds, almond extract, and cinnamon added to mix in bowl
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  5. Mix in flour one cup at a time (mixture will seem dry or crumbly). You may want to use your hand to mix together the dough as you add the last cup of flour to fully incorporate it into the dough mixture. 

    Mix into dough in bowl
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  6. Some recipes call for an egg yolk to add moisture and to bind the dough a bit, but it is optional. This is the point to add the yolk if you decide to use it—simply beat an egg yolk and mix it ​into the dough.

    Egg yolk added to dough mix
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  7. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. Once your dough is chilled, divide the dough into four portions.

    Refrigerate dough in bowl
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  8. Using a portion of the dough at a time, roll or form a rope 1- to 1 1/2-inches wide.

    Roll dough rope on board
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  9. Lay the rope on a cutting board and flatten the rope slightly. Slice the rope diagonally to make diamond-shaped cookies.

    Cut dough rope on board
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes.

    Dough slices on baking sheet
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  11. Again, these cookies will be very crumbly so once they cool slightly, carefully remove them using a spatula.

    Spatula removing cookies from baking tray
    ​The Spruce / Teena Agnel