The decorated windows, Christmas lights strewn on houses, and blow-up turkeys in neighboring yards epitomizes the honest reality that the holiday season is here! This means it is time for me to decide what I want to cook and bake for entertaining, gift giving, and personal pleasure.
I am not ashamed to admit I have a sweet tooth so holiday sweets regularly catch my eye. Perhaps this reflects how my interest in baking came prior to my interest in cooking. Being able to easily freeze baked goods without sacrificing quality is a huge plus for me. I also agree “It is always a good time to make cookies.” For the holidays, I gravitate towards new things I am eager to try like a savory pumpkin pie as well as tried-and-true “winners” from the past. I found a winner this past Valentine’s Day when I wanted to make holiday cookies.
While creative and artistic describe me, and a holiday sweet table certainly catches my eye, decorating cookies really “isn’t my thing.” The mess and decision making involved leave me feeling overwhelmed. That is why, when I stumbled across this recipe for Mexican shortbread, Hojarascas (oh-ha-rascas ), it caught my eye. I was quite pleased with the result and have made them many times since, including for the sweet table at my summer wedding!
These cookies get their name from crunchy leaves that come off trees in the fall and crumble when stomped on. They are very popular in the states of Nuevo León and Caohuila in Mexico. Their simple coating of cinnamon sugar adds a touch of sweetness and makes them look decorated.
Just like your typical decorated holiday cookie, these can be cut out into any shape. A simple switch to colored decorating sugar and you have a light and delicate, decorated cookie for any festivity. Another plus, these cookies don’t require chilling, resulting in a batch of cookies in just about an hour. They have a great cinnamon flavor from the cinnamon tea.
Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe
Yields: about 45 cookies
Prep time: 40 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
Inactive time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
For the Cinnamon Tea:
1 cup water
1 stick whole cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Dough:
8 oz butter, room remperatur
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups flour
For the Sugar Coating:
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Make the Cinnamon Tea:
1. In a small pot, add 1 cup water and the cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside. Let this cool completely. To hasten this process, put it in the freezer.
For the Dough:
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Mix well.
7. Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour. Adding too much flour as you roll out cookies will make them tough. Place cookie dough on the surface and roll it out evenly. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
For the Sugar Coating:
9. While cookies bake, mix the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
10. Dip the cookies into the cinnamon sugar until well coated.
Here are a few helpful things to know when making these cookies:
These shortbread cookies are one of the basic types of cookies which include no-bake, fried, butter, sandwich, drop, rolled, bar, icebox, and molded cookies. Their simplicity provides a great accompaniment to the delicious menu options offered in upcoming classes such as Hands-On ¡Feliz Navidad! and Hands-On Things to Bring: Delicious Side Dishes for Holiday Gatherings.