Coconut Milk Powder Polvoron - a classic Filipino sweet treat!
Polvoron is a much-loved sweet treat from the Philippines, where it was introduced during Spanish colonial rule and adapted to local ingredients and preferences. Nowadays, it is popular as a pasalubong, a little gift you give to friends and family when you return from a trip, to show that you were thinking of them whilst away. Our friends at the supper club - The Adobros have given us a fabulous recipe using our tasty coconut milk powder.
In essence, polvoron is a crumbly ‘shortbread’: toasted flour is mixed with milk powder, sugar, butter and other fillings of choice, before being pressed with a mould into a tablet shape. This vegan version uses our dairy-free Coconut Milk Powder, and pairs it up with plant-based butter, to create a delicious and delectable vegan treat that is so easy to make (and to eat!). For additional variety, consider adding the following as fillers in place of the rice crispies: chopped up roasted cashew or peanuts; cocoa nibs or dark chocolate pieces; chopped up dried fruit.
Ingredients
Makes for 12-15~ pieces using a standard polvoron/falafel press mould
· Plain White Flour, or coconut flour – 1 cup
· Granulated White Sugar / coconut sugar – ¼ cup
· Dairy-free Coconut Milk Powder – ½ cup
· Rice Crispies – ½ cup
· Unsalted Plant-based Butter – 100g
Steps
1. Toast the flour in a pan until light brown – stir frequently to prevent patches burning
2. Once brown, remove the flour and allow to cool for a bit
3. Once cool,. sieve the toasted flour into a bowl, and then add the sugar, coconut milk powder and rice crispies. Stir to mix evenly.
4. Melt the butter and then add to the mix, ensuring that it is fully-mixed.
5. If the texture is too crumbly for your liking, add more butter as necessary.
6. Use a polvoron press mould (a falafel press mould works too) to make the polvoron: pack the mould tight and take care in popping the polvoron out of the mould.
N.B. If you do not have a press mould, you can pack the mix into cookie cutter moulds, or mould it with your hands.
7. Store in the refrigerator until firm. At this point, you can either wrap it up in squares of tissue paper or cellophane (for that traditional pasalubong feel), or eat it as it is! Alternatively, crumble it to use as a base for chilled desserts like non-baked cheesecakes, banoffee pie etc.
About The Adobros
The Adobros is a culinary outfit and supper club aiming, since 2013, to feed the hungry hordes of London with home-cooked and hearty Filipino food, one meal at a time.
Based out of New Cross, they have created a dining experience that they feel captures the best of the Filipino food culture: the warm welcome, the social sharing, the festive feasting and, of course, the distinctively delicious flavours of their take on Filipino classics.
@theadobros