Polvoron, Pulburon, Polboron

I originally wanted to make this post into a guessing game. A non-Pinoy would be hard-pressed to figure out what the strange looking devices in my photos are. If you're vaguely familiar with Filipino or Spanish cuisine the title is a dead giveaway as to what they're for.

These contraptions are actually moulds used in making a Filipino treat called polvoron (pulburon, polboron). These moulds have got less to do with the taste of polvoron so don't fret if you haven't got them handy. You should still be able to make polvoron in freeform or with the use of other similar sized moulds. They'll be a nice addition to your collection of kitchen gadgets though.

Polvoron, I realised only today after reading it in the ever reliable Wikipedia, is in fact a type of shortbread - a biscuit made of sugar, flour and lots of butter. Basic polvoron is actually made up of such! You can create variations (look out for future posts) to this by adding nuts, chocolates, fruits, or other ingredients you fancy. It is traditionally wrapped in colourful Japanese paper (papel de hapon) but these tend to bleed so we opt for cello wrap instead.

With only a few essential ingredients it is vital to get the process spot on to avoid disaster. Flour, the only component that requires cooking, must be toasted just right. It must be nut brown in colour with a very delicate toasty smell.

The recipe below is Cherry's. I only assisted in the wrapping.

Cherry's Basic Polvoron

4 cups plain flour

1 cup powdered milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

250g butter

1. Toast flour in a pan until it starts to turn light brown.

2. Sift the toasted flour, milk and sugar in a large bowl.

3. Add the butter to the mixture and make sure all the ingredients are blended well together.

4. Use a polvoron mould to shape the mixture into traditional shapes.

5. Wrap the polvoron pieces in cello wrap. Serve immediately or cool in the fridge.