Polvoron@Kulinarya

I have just joined the Kulinarya Cooking Club (see information below),  a group of food bloggers from around the globe who share a recipe from the Philippines each month.  The theme for April is Polvoron.

"Wasn't that the crumbly thing that Yaya used to make when we were kids?"  The first bite took us all on a trip down memory lane, of childhoods spent visiting the grandparents, of endless fun with so many cousins, aunts and uncles.

Polvoron is described as a "candy made of flour, sugar, butter and powdered milk.  The flour is toasted, all the ingredients are mixed and shaped into round or oval-shaped molds.  It is believed that making Polvoron started during the American occupation (of the Philippines) to use up the huge amount of powdered milk brought in by the Americans".  The name comes from the Spanish word polvo, which means dust or powder, and aptly describes the fragile, crumbly consistency of the candy.

I had a bit of a challenge making an authentic Polvoron, mainly because I couldn't find the special mold to hold the shape of the mixed ingredients.  I decided then to do a cookie version, using the closest mold I could find - a melon baller!  These little bites are a sweet treat with afternoon tea.

Polvoron Cookies

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1 cup Flour

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

1 cup Powdered Milk

Icing Sugar for dusting

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, except for the icing sugar.

Use a melon baller or mold of your choice to shape into half-spheres, making sure to press the filling firmly into the mold.  Lay directly onto a lined baking pan.

Bake in a 200 deg C oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  For a softer cookie, decrease your baking time to 5-7 minutes.

Dust icing sugar onto cookies while still warm. Makes about 55 mini cookies.

Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine.

Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.

If you're interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please visit http://au.groups. yahoo.com/ group/kulinarya - we would love to hear from you.

Here are the members of the Kulinarya Cooking Club (and more to come!). Please feel free to visit and comment on their blogs.
Trish http://sugarlace.com
Kath http://acupcakeortwo.com
Trissa http://trissalicious.com
Olive http://latestrecipes.net
Caroline http://whenadobometfeijoada.blogspot.com/
Peach http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Cusinera http://busogsarap.com
Asha – http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com
Malou - http://www.impromptudiva.com/
Cherrie – http://sweetcherriepie.blogspot.com/
Acdee - http://acdee.blogspot.com/
Valerie – http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/
Bel – http://www.foodgeek.webs.com/
Divina – http://www.sense-serendipity.com/
Anna - http://www.anniesfoodjournal.blogspot.com
Dahlia - http://www.energychef.blogspot.com/
Joy - http://joyjoycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/