Pecan Polvorones with Muscavado and Rosemary Filling

Pecan Polvorones with Muscovado and Rosemary Filling

September 25, 2015

At Christmas time, the people of Spain bake Polvorones. In Mexico wedding celebrations include Polvorones. Anytime of year, Polvorones always contain nuts and have a delicate, crumbly texture. For this Pecan Polvorones recipe, we fill them with Muscovado brown sugar and cream. Muscovado sugar, often produced on the island of Mauritius, and sometimes in the Philippines, is the rum making sugar. Thought to be for the poor man, it’s unrefined and sticky with molasses. In North America, Muscovado comes at a premium, but the floral, toffee and fruit flavours compensate for the expense. Add a sprig of savoury rosemary to accent the Polvorones. All-in-all, these great cookies will make you happy. Leave me your comments below.

This recipe comes from Alice Medrich’s wonderful book : Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt in Your Mouth Cookies. The book is great. Her cookies are great. Having a copy of this book will inspire you. Buy it today.

The Finer Cookie is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This post contains affiliate links, which means The Finer Cookie will receive a small commission if you make a purchase using this link. This modest income helps support the website.

Ingredients

Makes 28-30 cookies

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1½ cups 148 grams 2.33 ounces pecans
  • 1/3 cup 66 grams 2.33 ounces sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ½ teaspoon ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ½ pound 226 grams ½ pound unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons 2 teaspoons 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 cups 255 grams 9 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour

Cookie Filling

  • 2/3 cup 130 grams 4.6 ounces firmly packed light muscovado sugar
  • 1/3 cup 85 grams 3 ounces heavy cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon 1/8 teaspoon 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
  • fresh rosemary sprigs

Instructions

SPECIAL COOKIE EQUIPMENT

COOKIE MISE EN PLACE

  • Pulse the nuts in a food processor
Pecans before pulsing.
Pecans before pulsing.
  • Pulse until most are finely ground and the largest pieces are about 1/4 inch. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Ground pecans.
Ground pecans.
  • Wipe out the food processor and add the sugar and salt. Wiz it until it is fine and powdery. Leave in the food processor.
  • Measure the butter in a separate bowl and set aside to soften.
  • Separate the egg yolk (if using) and add the vanilla, and mix until incorporated.

ASSEMBLING THE COOKIE

  • In the food processor with the sugar, add the butter, vanilla and egg yolk (if using), and pulse until the mixture is smooth.
Butter, egg yolk and vanilla.
Butter, egg yolk and vanilla.
The butter mixture.
The butter mixture.
  • Add the flour and pulse until the dough starts to clump together.
After the flour has been added to the butter.
After the flour has been added to the butter.
  • Add the nuts and pulse just until combined. Transfer the dough to a bowl or dump it on a clean counter and knead it by hand briefly to make sure it is evenly mixed.
The cookie dough just out of the food processor.
The cookie dough just out of the food processor.
Gathering the dough to hold together.
Gathering the dough to hold together.
Kneading the dough until the ingredients are well blended.
Kneading the dough until the ingredients are well blended.
The cookie dough in its final form.
The cookie dough in its final form.

PREPARE TO BAKE

  • Shape the dough into 1-inch balls (0.5 ounce each) and place them slightly apart on a plate or tray big enough to hold all the balls yet small enough to fit in your refrigerator.
Rolling the dough into 1 inch balls.
Rolling the dough into 1 inch balls.
  • Press the handle of a wooden spoon dipped in flour (or your finger) into each ball to form a depression.
Making the depressions with an oatmeal stirrer.
Making the depressions with an oatmeal stirrer.
Finishing the tray.
Finishing the tray.

NOTES

  • The cookies will puff while baking, so the depression you make will be less deep after they are baked. Judge accordingly.
  • Cover and chill the cookies for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.
A crowded tray of cookies ready for the fridge.
A crowded tray of cookies ready for the fridge.

BAKE THE COOKIES

  • Preheat the oven to 325 F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
  • Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and place them 1 inch apart on the lined or ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the cookies are lightly coloured on top and light golden brown on the bottom.
  • Rotate the pans halfway through baking to ensure an even colour.
  • Cool cookies completely.
Cookies just out of the oven.
Cookies just out of the oven.

FILLING THE COOKIES

  • While the cookies are cooling, combine the Muscovado sugar with the cream and salt in a small saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Boil gently for about 2 minutes without stirring. This will allow the sugar to be firm when cooled.
Cooking the Muscovado and cream.
Cooking the Muscovado and cream.
  • Cool the sauce briefly, and pour into the squeeze tube, the while warm, squeeze the sugar filling into the depression.
  • If you don’t have a squeeze tube, spoon a little filling into the depression in each cookie.
Squeezing the filling into the depression. This was fun.
Squeezing the filling into the depression. This was fun.
  • Lay a sprig of fresh rosemary on the sugar filling.
This part was a little tedious.
This part was a little tedious.
  • Allow the filling to cool completely.
  • May be stored in an airtight container for at least a week.

 

Subscribe

Keep up to date with our latest offers & news.