Hojarascas

Hojarascas - traditional Mexican treats, beloved for their crumbly texture and rich, buttery taste, delicately spiced with cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness.

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

CuisineMexican

KeywordCinnamon

Prep Time1

Cook Time15

Total Time1 15

Servings dozen

Calories762kcal

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

For cookies:

2 whole eggs
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
5 cinnamon sticks
1 lb. shortening
6 cups all-purpose flour

For topping:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon or more to taste

Instructions

In a blender, add cinnamon sticks and sugar.
Blend well until cinnamon sticks have been broken down.
Strain the mixture into a small bowl, removing any larger pieces of cinnamon sticks.
In a large bowl, add eggs, baking powder and lard. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until well combined. Add cinnamon/sugar mixture and continue beating until evenly mixed. Gradually, stir in flour one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Once the mixture becomes difficult to stir in the flour, pour out the contents of the bowl onto a floured surface and continue to work in the remaining flour by hand until well incorporated. Knead the dough until smooth and pliable. You can use a standing mixer fitted with a paddle to make the job easier. This process should take around 15-20 minutes. When the dough does not break when spread on the surface, it is ready.
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, wrapping each one in a piece of plastic wrap until ready to use. Let rest in fridge for 15 minutes.
On a heavily floured surface, roll the dough out to roughly 1/4" to 1/2" thick, as you would for basic sugar cookies, and cut out using your favorite shapes (ours is a 1.5in fluted circle). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes (cooking time will need to be adjusted based on size and thickness).
Cookies are ready when the bottoms are slightly golden and they are semi-firm to the touch.
Combine 2 C. sugar with 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon. As cookies come out of the oven, gently toss in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Set aside to cool. These cookies keep well when stored in an airtight container. Enjoy!

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