Filipino Polvoron

4.29 from 7 votes

Polvoron is a Filipino shortbread cookie made with toasted flour, powdered milk, butter, and sugar. It can be flavored with a variety of ingredients including ground nuts, rice cereal, crushed Oreos, and freeze dried fruit.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Chill Time15

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Filipino

Servings: cookies

Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g)
½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
½ cup powdered whole milk (60 g)
3 Tbsp malted milk powder (35 g) optional
pinch kosher salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter (142 g) melted, warm

Optional Mix-Ins

60 grams chopped Oreo (5 cookies chopped)
35 grams sprinkles (about 3 Tbsp)
18 grams rice crispy cereal (about ½ cup)

Instructions

Set large shallow skillet over medium heat. Add flour. Stir flour often (using small whisk or silicone spatula) to evenly distribute heat and prevent burning.
Continue to cook flour until it is fragrant and the color of the flour has turned tan. Toast the flour to your liking. Remove from heat and transfer flour to a heat safe bowl. Cool for 5-10 minutes.
*Do not be alarmed. The flour may steam. Keep stirring to prevent it from burning.
In another bowl, combine sugar, powdered milk, malted milk powder, and salt. Add this to slightly cooled flour mixture. Whisk to combine all the dry ingredients together.
Add in warm melted butter. Use a spatula to fold ingredients together until mixture is crumbly.
Use oval stamper to punch out cookies. Alternatively, use the silicone mold or mini cupcake method explained in the blog post.
Place recently shaped oval cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Allow cookies to harden at room temperature. Or, quicken the process by using the fridge or freezer to cool the cookies.

Notes

Ingredient Notes:

Since this recipe requires very few ingredients, it is very important to use high quality fresh ingredient.
Use new flour (not one that has been sitting in your pantry for months.
Use the best quality butter you can find. Don't use butter that has been sitting in the fridge absorbing fridge aroma.
Whole milk powder is highly recommended for the richest flavor. However, you may use instant non fat milk.
If milk powder is flakey or coarse, process in a food process until it is a fine powder. The fine powder texture will ensure you have a crumbly, melt in your mouth cookie.

Alternative Mix-Ins: Choose ONE mix-in to add with other dry ingredients. Follow with melted butter.

Shelf Life and How to Store Cookies

To prolong the life of your cookies, store the homemade polvoron in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. I suggest using a container like to prevent any unwanted smells from the fridge/freezer to seep into the butter cookies.
The cookies will last one month in the fridge. Or several months (about 3 months) in the freezer. Allow the cookies to come to room temperature before eating.
The popular Goldilocks polvoron cookies are shelf-stable because they are made with shortening instead of butter.

Nutrition