For many, all of these desserts are made in the same way, there are even those who confuse one for the other if they are not used to eating them, whether it’s because they are foreigners or simply don’t like them. Here in Spain people don’t usually do much baking. You can always use vegetable shortening if pork lard is hard to come by! Last year, convinced that I really did like the mantecados that filled the supermarket shelves, I brought a big box home to my family for Christmas. Mantecados and polvorones are Spanish shortbreads which are extremely popular in Spain. Polvorones are sometimes topped with sprinkles or guava or just eaten plain. Mantecados y polvorones comparten varios ingredientes comunes: manteca de cerdo, harinas y azúcar. It’s such a fun hobby for so many people and brings some great memories to mind. Sometimes called polvorones puertorirqueños these festive cookies with sprinkles … Mantecados are rounder and their color and texture can change depending on their flavor, whether it is lemon, chocolate, pastry, etc. Shape can help us distinguish between all of these desserts too. Professional eater, writer, cook, food tour operator. It’s common to find a heaping plate of store bought mantecados and polvorones just about everywhere at Christmas time– the doctor’s office, the teacher’s lounge, your mother-in-law’s living room… If you’re lucky there will also be a bottle of hard liquor to accompany these sweet treats (and to help you wash them down!). Si tenemos que destacar en todos ellos una característica común es que, para su elaboración, se utiliza la manteca de cerdo.. El origen de los mantecados es disputado entre dos ciudades andaluzas: Antequera y Estepa. Mantecados and polvorones can come in a variety of flavors — popular versions include almond, orange, chocolate and lemon. In other countries these desserts could have other characteristics and meanings. 2. Fascinated by food and its history. Set aside. This brought me to the conclusion that they don’t quite compare to the homemade baked goods and cookies we make in my family for Christmas! Loves: a gooey slice of tortilla, fish markets, homemade cocktails, train travel. Today nearly every family in Estepa has some involvement in the industry! Polvorones are long and oval-shaped and their name comes from the powdered sugar used to coat them. Sep 24, 2017 - Christmas time screams cookies, and at my house the one sugar cookie that we love is our Puerto Rico authentic Polvorones or Mantecaditos recipe. Recuerdo también cómo en las escuelas e iglesias se utilizaban para hacer campañas de recaudación de fondos. Dentro de la repostería española los mantecados y polvorones son un dulce tradicional que, aunque se comen durante todo el año, son especialmente consumidos en Navidad. Check out my food tours at www.devourtours.com. Sugar, butter, milk, flour... listo! Home / Blog / What are Mantecados and Polvorones? Mantecados and polvorones can come in a variety of flavors — popular versions include almond, orange, chocolate and lemon. Their pastry selection is rather limited compared to that of France or the US, and is especially heavy on whipped cream, soft meringue, and sweets made of egg yolk (like flan, crema Catalana, tocino de cielo, etc.). Hates: Overhyped restaurants, wine snobs, long menus, mediocrity. Hay que decir que actualmente hay variedades de mantecados y polvorones de Estepa hechos con aceite de oliva en lugar de manteca. Discover the story behind mantecados and polvorones, Spain’s favorite Christmas treats! Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour and nutmeg in medium bowl. But today Andalusia is still the most famous place for mantecados and polvorones, and the town Estepa in the province of Seville is especially well known (there’s even a Museum of the Mantecado!). Subscribe here to get free Spanish recipes weekly! Add that to the fact that apartments here don’t always come with ovens (we currently are stuck with a toaster oven) and baking can be virtually impossible. Try this recipe for mantecados and make up your own mind. Mantecados are rounder and their color and texture can change depending on their flavor, whether it is lemon, chocolate, pastry, etc. Subscribe for free Spanish recipes weekly! When it comes to marzipan, its origin is not completely clear, but the first written reference about this dessert puts its origin in Toledo, where it is so popular that it is eaten all year round. 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