These Keto-friendly polvorones are as tasty as the original recipe.

Have you had a treat from your childhood that you, to this day still love and enjoy? Well, for me it was two, or rather my top two from my list of favorites. Polvorones and Tembleque.

When I decided to focus on a Ketogenic Diet, these two desserts as well as many others were not going to be enjoyed anymore, until I created my KETO-FRIENDLY POLVORONES!!!!

As I started learning more and more about different Ketogenic ingredients I have been able to adapt some of my favorite dessert recipes into tasty keto-friendly versions.

Today, I bring you Polvorones, a Puerto Rican version of shortbread cookies. These cookies crumble as you bite into them. Mildly sweet, but when made with a mixture of coconut and almond flour, these cookies take the almond flavor to another level.

They are denser than the original cookies but equally delicious.

What are polvorones?
Lard, that is the question
Lard and baking
Just because it is keto you do not have to get dirty with the lard
The ingredients
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What are polvorones?

I had covered this topic before. As I said, I love these cookies!!! So I am in case you have not read my other post or do not know what these cookies are, I am going to keep some of the same information.

The name polvorones derives from the word "Polvo," meaning dust, playing on the idea that the cookie crumbles ever so slightly once you bite into the cookie. Both shortbread cookies from Spain and Scotland dust their cookies with powdered sugar, adding more meaning to the play-on-words for the name. I find these cookies highly addictive, although they are not at all super sweet. These are the kind of cookies you would be offered with your coffee or tea right around the 3 o'clock pick-me-up.

Lard, that is the question

"Oh lard, it's bigger. It's bigger than you. And you are not me. The lengths that I will go to. To use this in my cooking. Oh no, I've said too much. I set it up."
My version of Loosing My Religion by R.E.M

Yes, the cheesy quote stays, because the issue remains.

The truth is, I LIKE LARD! There, I said it. In a world where admitting you like something that is not considered healthy is a fall from grace, I will come out and state that I do not see anything wrong with lard.

One of the ideas of the Keto diet is to add fat to your consumptions because the body uses it as fuel. The body is no longer using carbs and sugars as fuel, therefore we need to replenish the fat the body burns. That is once the body is continuously burning body fat. Therefore using lard in moderation is quite acceptable. If you would like to learn more about consuming lard, check this article. The issue lies in the fact that foods that were not easily accessible are now accessible and foods that once were considered a treat are now commonplace every day.

Lard and baking

When it comes to cooking, especially baking, lard has some properties which help create flakiness and airiness. Although, in this link, you will see a few reasons supporting the use of lard in your cooking. If you decide to give lard a chance, I recommend the following.

Never buy your lard from the shelf of an aisle in a major grocer. These shelf-stable products tend to be hydrogenated, linked to trans-fats which is the type of fat we really want to avoid.
Please find a local farmer who renders fat from his/her pigs. Not only will you get a better, fresher product, but you will also be supporting your local community. I buy my lard from a reputable organic farm a few miles away from where I live. The lard is rendered and canned in a mason jar at the farm and kept under refrigeration.
Suppose you cannot find or do not have a local nearby. If you live in a city, visit your farmer's market. You do not have to, necessarily, visit the farms to get a great product. Ask the farmers at your local farmer's market.

Just because it is keto you do not have to get dirty with the lard

Coconut oil makes a great substitute if you do not want to use lard. Double up on the butter. Or not hydrogenated palm oil works just as well. Palm oil is a vegan option for adding fat without dealing with the effects of lard. But the key to this issue is to use a fat that is clean. Stay away from Hydrogenated fats and triglycerides that create more harm than good.

The ingredients

Coconut Flour and Almond Flour

I decided to mix both of these flours for a couple of reasons. Almond flour has a high-fat content because almond flour and meal are just almonds that have been pulverized into flour. Therefore, all the components that constitute an almond are present in the flour, since it is just ground almonds. Which makes this flour a bit tricky, because you have to consider the fat content of the overall recipe.

Coconut flour on the other hand is the product of when coconut is shredded and squeezed out for milk. The husky flakes that have been stripped of oils and liquid, then ground into flour. Because of this, coconut flour will absorb any liquid used in the recipe, having you adjust the liquids in order to create the same product.

Thus, (I always wanted to use that term, lol) mixing both flours creates a balance. The original recipe called for 2 ¼ cups of flour, so instead of dividing the recipe down the line I went a bit lean on the coconut flour and heavier on the almond with portions of one cup of coconut flour and 1 ¼ cup of almond flour.

Butter

We only need half a stick of butter for this recipe. The one thing I am going to advise on using animal products, which goes along with the lard, is always trying to purchase grass-fed, humanely sourced, and raised meats and by-products.

Making the cookies

The cookies are made exactly the same as if using flour. Begin by letting the butter and lard come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325℉. The reason I lowered the heat is that the cookies were browning faster than I wanted them to at 350℉.

Blend the coconut flour and the almond flour. Add half a teaspoon of xantham gum and lightly whisk together.

1. Mix coconut, almond flour and anthem gum

Blend the fats together, and cream.

Add monk fruit sweetener, almond extract, and flour, and blend. I used a #50 scoop, but you can use a measuring tablespoon and rub it with the palm of your hands to form balls. I lightly sprayed a cookie sheet and arranged the cookies. Press each ball gently with your thumb to create a divot. Add half of a Maraschino cherry, to the top of the cookie and bake. All ovens are different, so place them in the oven for about 20 minutes. But you are looking for even golden brown around the edges.