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Home » Cookies » Hojarascas-Traditional Mexican Shortbread Cookies

Hojarascas-Traditional Mexican Shortbread Cookies

December 2, 201629 Comments

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Do you have a family tradition that was passed down to you??? Making cookies during the holidays is probably one of those traditions that we are all familiar with. There were only two desserts that my Mom baked during the holidays, empanadas and hojarascas.

Hojarascas-Traditional Mexican Shortbread Cookies

This cookie recipe has been passed down for generations

Although many generations of us grew up with a version of hojarascas, pan de polvo, biscochitos or polvorones, did you know that the Bonilla family officially registered the hojarasca cookie recipe when the family opened their bakery? Hojarasca cookies® is the registered trademark of the Bonilla family. El Nopal Bakery was considered a Chicago institution. Begun by Mr. and Mrs. Bonilla.

https://animoto.com/play/3nbYWuxrp47blBkZNgWMow

Hojarascas. It’s about traditions and keeping them alive.

Hojarascas is the name I knew them by in Monterrey, Mexico. This very traditional Mexican cookie is lightly sweetened and typically flavored with cinnamon and sometimes anise. They come with or without nuts, then are rolled in sugar and fresh grated canela  (Mexican cinnamon). They literally melt in your mouth!

Hojarascas-Mexican Shortbread Cookies

Every time I bake a batch, it takes me right back home.

After I got married and moved away from home, my Mom would send me these cookies every Christmas. Now that that she is no longer with us, I took it upon myself to keep this tradition going and bake these very special cookies every holiday season. The cookies are similar to Polvorones, Pan de Polvo and Biscochitos. This recipe includes baking powder and eggs, which yields a more firm dough, which makes it easier to use cookie cutters. I would not recommend the eggless recipe for cut-out cookies. The hardest part is not eating them before I share them with family an friends! Happy Holidays!

Hojarascas #hojarascas

Not just for the holidays, but it would not be Christmas without them!

Hojarascas #hojarascas
Hojarascas-Traditional Mexican Shortbread Cookies

You can’t rush when preparing these delicate cookies!

The hojarascas are extremely fragile when warm. So please wait until they have cooled to dip them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Mexican Canela-Hojarascas

If you can find real Mexican canela(cinnamon), I would suggest using that.

And then for the holidays…. Cut out are festive!

Hojarascas-Pan de Polvo
Hojarascas-Pan de Polvo

Tips~ The gingerbread man was not the best for this recipe. The heads and legs brake off easily, lol! Stick with the stars, hearts or trees.

Hojarascas-Pan de Polvo-Mexican Shortbread Cookies
Hojarascas-Pan de Polvo
Hojarascas

Hojarascas (Mexican Shortbread Cookies)

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without these traditional hojarascas in our house! Called by other names, such as biscochitos, pan de polvo and polvorones, they are delicious! Don't wait until Christmas! I bake them a couple times a year!
4.69 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes minutes
Resting time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 4 minutes minutes
Servings: 24 Cookies

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 tsp anise seeds
  • 3 inch Mexican cinnamon stick
  • 1 c water
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening, pork lard or butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar plus more for dusting
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • Zest of 1 large orange optional
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup finely ground pecans optional
  • parchment paper

You Will Also Need

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp fresh ground Mexican canela(cinnamon) or already ground cinnamon

Instructions

Directions

  • In a small pot, combine the anise seeds and cinnamon stick with 1 cup of water. Bring to a quick boil for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes. let cool.
  • Combine 1 1/4 cups of pork lard, shortening or butter and ½ cup of sugar in bowl. Using an electric hand mixer(or stand mixer), cream together until fluffy. Beat in the yolks until thoroughly blended. Strain the reserved tea. Set aside.
  • Reduce mixer speed to low and with the mixer running, mix in 1/3 cup of the cinnamon/anise tea, orange zest, baking powder and finally the flour, mixing just long enough to work in the flour. If the dough feels too crumbly, mix in a little more of reserved lard or shortening. If it feels too sticky, mix in 1-2 more tbsps of flour. If using pecans, fold them in now. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 20-25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Line cookie sheets with parchement paper. On a lightly floured surface,  roll out dough and use your favorite cutouts like hearts, stars or trees. You can also roll 1 inch balls and place them on the cookie sheets. Take the bottom of a glass and press cookies flat. Dip the bottom of glass in flour if it starts to stick.
  • Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, about 12 to 14 minutes. While cookies are cooling, mix the 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 tsp of canela (cinnamon). Carefully dip each cookie into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Cool completely and store in airtight container. Yields up to 2 dozen cookies.

Notes

 The orange zest is my addition. It’s optional. If you like more anise flavor, you could mix in 1/2 tsp of ground anise to the dough when mixing. Also, when I first shared this recipe, I used fresh orange juice for the liquid part instead of the tea. That is an option.
The nuts are optional but were often added to give the cookie a more traditional feel. Mexican cinnamon sticks are softer than the sticks you typically find in most markets. The Mexican cinnamon can easily be ground with a micro plane or in a coffee grinder once broken into pieces.
In the video, I used a very small star shaped cookie cutter. The cookies baked in less than 10 minutes.
HOJARASCAS WITH NO EGG
Prep Time- 30 minutes
Bake Time- 22 minutes
Yields- 28 small cookies
 
Ingredients
2 Mexican cinnamon sticks, 3 inches each
1 tsp. anise seeds
2 cups water
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c granulated sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 tsps. ground cinnamon
4 oz. pork lard or vegetable shortening
 
In a small saucepan, combine the cinnamon sticks, anise seeds and 2 cups of water. Bring up to a boil. Reduce the heat to below medium and continue simmering until the tea reduces by half.
While tea cooks, in a large bowl, combine the flour, ¼ c sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
When ready, strain the tea into a measuring cup. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Set aside.
To the flour mixture, cut in the pork lard or shortening with your hand until it resembles wet sand. Gradually mix in 2 ounces of the concentrated tea until the dough forms. If it is too sticky, mix in another 1-2 tablespoons of flour adding a little at a time. If it feels too dry, knead in more tea. Cover dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ½ inch thick rectangle. Using a small 1-inch-wide round cookie cutter, cut rounds out and transfer to greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until bottoms of cookies look golden. Remove from oven. In a shallow bowl combine the
remaining sugar and cinnamon. While the cookies are still warm, dredge through the cinnamon and sugar. Once cool, store cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!
Hojarascas

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Filed Under: Cookies, Traditional Mexican Recipes Tagged With: Baking, Biscochitos, Cookies, Hojarascas, Pan de Polvo, Traditional Mexican Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marti Campbell

    August 22, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    The recipe calls for 1 cup finely ground pecans. Do you want to end up with 1 cup ground pecans or do you start with 1 cup whole/pieces of pecans? Should the pecans resemble dust or very small pieces? I would like to make some for my sons wedding.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      August 22, 2018 at 12:29 pm

      Hi Marti,

      You will need the pecans to be finely ground. And it will be 1 cup ground, not whole. If the pieces are too big, you cannot use cookie cutters. So, yes, finely ground. Great question!

      Reply
  2. Alissa

    September 19, 2019 at 1:03 am

    How would we prepare the tea if we wished to use that instead of the orange juice and zest?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 22, 2019 at 4:05 am

      Alisaa, I typically will prepare 1 cup of tea. So combine 1 cup water with a 4-6 inch piece of cinnamon stick and 1 teaspoon of anise seeds. I like to make sure it’s concentrated. I bring it up to a boil and them just let it cool at room temperature before straining it. I prepare a double batch of cookies, so I always like to have extra tea on hand. I believe I added about 1/3 of the prepared tea to the recipe instead of the orange juice.

      Reply
  3. Paulina Vázquez

    December 17, 2019 at 1:19 am

    Is it of if I use the Anis Estrella instead on the seeds?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 17, 2019 at 8:41 am

      Paulina, you can use the star anise as well.

      Reply
  4. Lindsay Ramirez

    December 29, 2019 at 8:45 pm

    You mention about using mexican canela. You are talking about cinimon sticks right. And basically grate the stick or what exactly do you mean by that step?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 29, 2019 at 9:22 pm

      Hi Lindsay, sorry about the confusion on the recipe. When I refer to canela, yes I do mean fresh grated canela. But it has to be Mexican cinnamon sticks because they are not as hard as the ones you find typically in stores. You could also just use ground cinnamon. I will make sure I add a note to the recipe about the Mexican cinnamon.

      Reply
  5. Lindsay

    December 31, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    One more question. in the you will also need ingredients you state

    “1/2 cup of granulated sugar mixed with 1 full teaspoon of fresh ground Mexican canela(cinnamon) or already ground cinnamon
    1 tsp fresh ground Mexican canela(cinnamon) or already ground cinnamon”

    does that mean I use two teaspoons of canela in the sugar mixture?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 31, 2019 at 4:16 pm

      It was amistake on my part. It should be 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamom. I made the corrections. Thank you.

      Reply
  6. Lindsay

    December 31, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    thank you for replying Im in the process of making them and im excited to see how they turn out!!!! I have also tried the empanadas receipe that you have and they are a sensation. my family cant get enough of them. !!!!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 31, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      Oh Good! Thank you for letting me know.

      Reply
  7. Karla Gonzalez

    April 10, 2020 at 12:16 am

    Question… if you are using the cinnamon water instead of the zest do you still add the 1 1/2 Tps of anisé seeds to the recipe?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      April 10, 2020 at 10:14 am

      If you are going to prepare the cinnamon and anise tea, I would not add extra anise seeds, not unless you want more anise flavor.If you are just making the tea cinnamon flavor, then the anise seeds can be added separately to the dough as instructed.Sorry for the confusion.

      Reply
  8. rita

    August 29, 2020 at 10:35 pm

    Nut allergies in my house, can you make without the pecans?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      August 30, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      Absolutely, you can prepare the recipe without nuts. it will yield less cookies.

      Reply
  9. Rick

    February 27, 2022 at 10:25 am

    We made them and they made a lot more then two dozen cookies.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      February 28, 2022 at 7:12 am

      Depending on the cookie cutter size and thickness of cookies, the recipe will yield a different amount.

      Reply
  10. Anna

    April 3, 2023 at 8:46 am

    Which do you recommend better pork lard, vegetable shortening or butter?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      April 3, 2023 at 10:39 am

      My personal preference is the vegetable shortening.

      Reply
  11. Kate

    December 16, 2023 at 11:10 pm

    Can’t wait to try these! I see they need to be refrigerated for 20 mins before rolling and cutting. Can the dough be stored in the fridge longer?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 17, 2023 at 3:28 pm

      Yes, of course it can. You will just have to let it warm up a bit when you go to roll out the dough

      Reply
  12. arely Vail munoz

    September 12, 2024 at 1:48 pm

    Can I use peanuts instead of pecans?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 13, 2024 at 10:09 am

      Yes! Of course you can!

      Reply
  13. Candy

    December 13, 2024 at 6:53 pm

    I love your recipe and have made it before. Though admittedly it’s been a while. I remember there being instructions for orange juice instead of the tea, but I don’t see them now.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 13, 2024 at 8:14 pm

      Hi Candy. Yes there was orange juice in the original recipe that I posted but decided to take it out because it wasn’t how my family prepared them traditionally. You could just use orange juice instead of the tea of cinnamon and anise

      Reply
  14. Christina Perez

    December 15, 2024 at 12:30 pm

    Sonia, I m in the process of making this as I type, my dough turned out like a cake mix, I’ve added more flour, as you recommended, but it’s still not a stiff dough, if I add more flour, I’m afraid it will take away the flavor.. I messed up somehow, I really hate to give up and throw everything away, it’s too darn expensive! Please HELP me,

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 15, 2024 at 12:42 pm

      Where do you think you messed up? Did you add too much liquid or shortening? I do refrigerate the dough for a while then roll it while its’s cold. It works better

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Pan Dulce~Favorite Mexican Bakery Treats | La Piña en la Cocina says:
    October 8, 2017 at 10:58 pm

    […] that I grew up with. Most times Mom would cut them out into heart shapes or simply round. https://pinaenlacocina.com/hojarascas-traditional-mexican-shortbread-cookies/ Conchas-Pan de Huevo   […]

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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