Polvorones – Mexican Wedding Cookies w/ Orange Zest (Gluten Free, Egg Free)

These delicious Spanish shortbread-like cookies are common in Mexico and Spain.  In Mexico, they are traditionally served at weddings and special celebrations.   

Little Love’s Waldorf school had a Multicultural Festival a few weekends ago and I made these Polvorones for the dessert table.  We had so much fun making 80 of them!  We actually made 2 versions, one gluten-free and one grain-free, both delicious, but slightly different. 

Little Love making sand art at the Multicultural Festival

Polvorones – Mexican Wedding Cookies w/ Orange Zest 

(Gluten Free, Egg Free)

Equipment:Mixing Bowl, Standing or Hand-Held Mixer, Microplane Rasp Zester or Standing Grater, Baking Sheet/Stoneware Large Bar Pan, Fine Mesh Strainer

·      1 cup pasture butter, room temperature (See Resources)

·      ½ cup organic sugar/evaporated cane juice

·      2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract *

·      Zest of 1 organic orange

·      ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      2 cups sprouted brown rice flour (See Resources)

·      1 cup almond flour

·      Organic powdered sugar for dusting

1.    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.   In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy.  Add vanilla and mix to combine.

3.   Add remaining ingredients and mix well, just until combined, do not over mix.  Dough will be moist and crumbly, but will come together with hands.    

4.   Make large dough ball with hands (make sure your hands are clean), cut into 4 equal parts with a knife.  Roll dough sections into little balls – each section should make 12 one-inch balls/cookies.

5.    Arrange dough balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Use a smooth/flat-bottomed floured glass to flatten the balls to about 1/2” thick. 

Little Love helping flatten the cookies with a glass.

6.   Bake about 12-15 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden brown, do not over bake.  Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Using a fine mesh strainer, immediately dust the tops of the cookies with plenty of powdered sugar. 

7.   Remove cookies from baking sheet and set on a cooling rack to cool. 

Yield: Approximately 4 dozen cookies.

* Variations:  Replace some or all of the vanilla extract with pure anise extract or organic coconut extract for a delicious flavor.