How to distinguish between polvorones and mantecados

Christmas comes and on the family tables appear an endless number of Christmas sweets. Marzipan, nougat, mantecados and polvorones whose origin is sometimes unknown, as well as the difference between them.

We have already talked about the origins of nougat and marzipan, but what are the origins of mantecados and polvorones? Are they the same?

Not at all. Although they may look similar on the outside, and may even have a similar taste, polvorones and mantecados are not the same, although they do have the same origin, since polvorones are a type of mantecado.

We tell you the differences between mantecados and polvorones.

What is the difference between polvorones and mantecados?

Although there is a common base to both, since as we have said before polvorones come from mantecados, the truth is that both their ingredients and the way they are made vary.

Both are made with lard -hence the name ‘mantecado’-, flour and sugar; but, in the case of polvorones, they also contain almonds, more flour and powdered sugar. In the recipe for mantecados, the flour is not toasted and, sometimes, egg white is included. In addition, the polvorón takes less time to bake, since it has more flour, that is why it is always wrapped in paper.

Origins of mantecados and polvorones (shortbread and polvorones)

Although it may seem that they have been with us all our lives, the truth is that it is a recent sweet, unlike the nougat that comes from the Arabs (
here
you can find more information about the origins of nougat).

It was not until the sixteenth century when they began to make sweets with lard, since in those years there were extensive fields of oaks in the area of the Steppe and pig breeding was very common. Those pastures disappeared two centuries later with the arrival of the French to prevent bandits from hiding there, leaving the current landscape of cereal plains.

The surplus of lard caused it to be used more in cooking and confectionery. In those centuries the convents used lard to make lard cakes, but it was not until the 19th century when mantecados began to be sold outside these lands thanks to the arrival of the railroad.

When did polvorones appear?

The recipe for polvorón came a few years later and has a name and surname. Its inventor was Filomena Micaela Ruiz Téllez, who made mantecados for her husband, who was a carrier, to distribute them to the markets he passed through. In order for the mantecados to arrive fresher at their destination, she decided to add more flour to them, and thus dry them. This new recipe caused the mantecados to lose their soft texture and gain their current floury texture and become almost like polvorones.

The 30s of the twentieth century were those that drove the industrial manufacture of polvorones and mantecados throughout the peninsula and in 2011 the Protected Designation of Origin of polvorones de la Estepa was recognized.

Since then, its consumption has been growing and, therefore, its mass production, which has caused that polvorones sometimes lose quality, that is why in Casa Mira we continue elaborating them, one by one, in our bakeries.

We use the highest quality Marcona almonds, lard, a little cinnamon and our house secret. The time and care that we use to make each one of them have turned our polvorones into a real delicacy of Kings.

If you want to try them all year long, you only have to visit our store
visit our store
.