Best 6 Mexican Shortbread Cookies Recipes

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Welcome to the world of Mexican shortbread cookies, a delightful treat that captures the essence of Mexican culinary traditions. These cookies, known as "polvorones", are characterized by their crumbly texture, rich flavors, and unique ingredients that set them apart from other shortbread variations. Often prepared during festive occasions or as a sweet indulgence, Mexican shortbread cookies offer a delightful experience for both locals and visitors alike. Embark on a culinary journey as we explore the secrets behind creating the perfect Mexican shortbread cookie, with tips and tricks to ensure a delicious and authentic outcome in every bite.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

HOJARASCAS



Hojarascas image

Hojarascas are yummy Mexican shortbread cookies covered in a sweet cinnamon and sugar coating. Make a few dozen because one batch is just never enough.

Provided by Maggie Unzueta

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h10m

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup water
1 stick whole cinnamon
8 oz shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 tspn salt
2 tbsp vanilla
1 tspn ground cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Steps:

  • In a small pot, add 1 cup water and the cinnamon stick.
  • Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside.
  • Let this cool completely.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the shortening and sugar.
  • Mix well.
  • Add salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and mix well.
  • Turn mixer off.
  • Add 1/2 of the flour. Mix only until combined.
  • Turn mixer off again.
  • Add the remaining 1/2 of the flour.
  • Mix only until combined.
  • Turn mixer off again.
  • Add half of the cooled cinnamon tea.
  • Turn mixer on low.
  • Add only the amount of tea necessary to bring the dough together. About 1/2 cup.
  • Turn mixer off and dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour.
  • Place cookie dough on the surface and roll it out evenly.
  • Cut out shapes using a cookies cutter.
  • Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
  • Cool the cookies completely on a rack.
  • Carefully and gently add each cookie to the bowl and cover with the sugar coating.
  • Repeat until all the cookies have been coated.
  • Makes about 45 cookies. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 107 kcal, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 5 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 9 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 8 g, ServingSize 1 serving

MEXICAN SHORTBREAD COOKIES (OJARASCAS)



Mexican Shortbread Cookies (Ojarascas) image

These Mexican Shortbread Cookies (also called Ojarascas) are light, buttery, crumbly shortbread cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar and they literally melt in your mouth. The perfect treat for Cinco de Mayo or your next Fiesta!

Provided by Lexie

Categories     Dessert

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, room temperature)
½ cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups of flour (plus more, if needed)
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon anise extract
Cinnamon sugar mixture (1 cup sugar + 3 teaspoons cinnamon)

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Measure ¼ cup of water in a measuring glass. Add anise extract. Stir to combine and set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, shortening, sugar, and cinnamon together on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
  • Turn your mixer to low speed, then starting and ending with the flour, alternately add 1 cup of flour, half of the anise water, 1 cup of flour, and the remaining anise water. The dough will begin to pull away from the sides, but if the dough is still sticky, add more flour ½ cup at a time. Do not overmix or add too much flour or your dough will be tough and crumbly.
  • Using your hands, shape 1 inch balls of dough and transfer to a baking sheet. Using the bottom of a cup or another flat surface, gently press on top of each ball to slightly flatten.
  • Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies turn slightly brown on the edges.
  • In a small bowl, add 3 teaspoons of cinnamon to 1 cup of sugar and stir to combine. Once you remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool slightly so you can pick them up (you want them to be warm though) and toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Transfer to parchment paper to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

PECAN SHORTBREAD COOKIES (MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES)



Pecan Shortbread Cookies (Mexican Wedding Cookies) image

This is a twist on the traditional pecan shortbread cookies, with a little fresh orange juice and zest added to the mixture. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Provided by BakerHouston

Categories     Desserts     Nut Dessert Recipes     Pecan Dessert Recipes

Time 3h55m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup very finely chopped pecans
½ cup confectioners' sugar

Steps:

  • Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, orange juice, water, and orange zest; beat until blended. Add flour and pecans and mix with a spoon until blended but crumbly. Cover and place in the refrigerator until chilled, 3 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  • Scoop up about a golf-ball-size of dough and press together into a ball. Flatten and smooth the edges, making sure the dough is firm and not flaky or crumbly, or else cookies will not rise or expand as they bake. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool, 8 to 10 minutes more.
  • Sift some confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Drop a cookie into the sugar, shake the bowl, flip the cookie, and agitate again to cover in sugar. Repeat with remaining cookies, adding more sugar as necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 167.5 calories, Carbohydrate 15.5 g, Cholesterol 20.3 mg, Fat 11.3 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 1.6 g, SaturatedFat 5.2 g, Sodium 54.8 mg, Sugar 7 g

MEXICAN CINNAMON COOKIES



Mexican Cinnamon Cookies image

My extended family shares a meal every Sunday. The aunts and uncles take turns bringing everything from main dishes to desserts like this traditional Mexican cinnamon cookie called reganadas. -Adan Franco, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 35m

Yield 12 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 large egg, separated
2 cups lard
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Dash salt
3/4 cup sugar
COATING:
2/3 cup sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Steps:

  • Place egg white in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat lard until creamy. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into lard., Beat egg white on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently whisk in sugar and egg yolk. Gradually beat into lard mixture. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 8-10 times., Divide dough into 6 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 24-in.-long rope; cut diagonally into 1-in. pieces. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on pans 2 minutes., In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Roll warm cookies in cinnamon sugar mixture or confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 47 calories, Fat 3g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 4mg cholesterol, Sodium 10mg sodium, Carbohydrate 5g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 0 protein.

MEXICAN SHORTBREAD COOKIES



Mexican Shortbread Cookies image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories     dessert, side dish

Time 2h40m

Yield About 20 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 8

Scant 1/2 cup unblanched whole almonds
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for buttering pan
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds and the flour on separate baking sheets. Place both in the oven and bake until the almonds are toasted and the flour is a deep creamy color, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring the flour and the almonds once. Set aside to cool completely.
  • Place the almonds and the sugar in a food processor and process until the nuts are ground. Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the almond mixture. Add the butter and shortening, working it in with your fingers until you have a crumbly dough.
  • Press the dough together, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • Butter a cookie sheet well. Unwrap the dough and place it on top of the plastic wrap; cover it with another sheet of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out between the sheets of plastic with quick, short movements until it is about 1/4 inch thick; it will be crumbly around the edges.
  • Using a cookie cutter 2 inches in diameter, cut out as many cookies as you can. Transfer them to the cookie sheet with a spatula, being very careful or they will break apart. Gather up the remaining dough and roll out and cut out more cookies. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
  • Bake the cookies on the top rack of the oven until they are pale golden in color, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sift the confectioners' sugar over them and set them aside to cool before removing them from the cookie sheet. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 112, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 52 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams

PERFECT SHORTBREAD COOKIES!



Perfect Shortbread Cookies! image

We got this recipe from a 1983 issue of Cuisine Magazine and it is perfection. It wouldn't be Christmas without this treat. Prep time below does not include chilling time.

Provided by CaliforniaJan

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h

Yield 54 1, 26 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 5

1 lb lightly-salted butter
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour

Steps:

  • Work cold butter with hands until soft and cream in the sugar. Mix flours and salt together and work into butter. Knead gently until soft (not oily) and forms a ball.
  • Roll dough to 3/8-inch thickness on a cookie sheet, mark pieces with a ruler to make 1" x 2" cookies and prick each cookie with a fork three times. Chill dough at least one hour (but up to 48 hours is still OK).
  • Heat oven to 325 degrees and reduce heat to 275 degrees as soon as you put the cookies in the oven.
  • Cut cookies apart and place on baking sheets. Bake in center of the oven at 275 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 228.1, Fat 14.3, SaturatedFat 9, Cholesterol 37.5, Sodium 169.9, Carbohydrate 23.3, Fiber 0.4, Sugar 7.8, Protein 2

Tips:

  • Make sure to use cold butter. This will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much in the oven.
  • If you don't have a food processor, you can use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour.
  • Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing will make the cookies tough.
  • Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This will help the cookies keep their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
  • Bake the cookies until they are just starting to turn golden brown around the edges. Overbaking will make the cookies dry and crumbly.

Conclusion:

These Mexican shortbread cookies are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that are perfect for any occasion. With their simple ingredients and buttery, crumbly texture, these cookies are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy dessert, give these Mexican shortbread cookies a try - you won't be disappointed!

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