Mexican Christmas Cookies Recipe
A festive batch of colorful Mexican Christmas cookies with a tender, rich crumb and a sparkling cane-sugar coating. The dough may be divided into several colors, chilled, shaped into generous rounds, and baked just until crackled while remaining pale.
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Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¾ cups butter-flavored shortening or lard for a more traditional flavor
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract preferably Simply Organic
- 4⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- Gel food coloring in desired colors
- 1½ cups granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
For Rolling
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk the all-purpose flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set the mixture aside.
- Cream the shortening mixture. Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the butter-flavored shortening, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract, then beat at medium speed for a full 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Incorporate the eggs. Add the eggs individually, beating the mixture well after each one is added.
- Add the flour mixture. Reduce the mixer to low speed. Gradually incorporate the prepared dry ingredients, approximately 1 cup at a time, continuing until the cookie dough is completely combined.
- Color the dough. Separate the dough into as many portions as desired according to the number of colors being used. Add gel food coloring to each portion and work it through the dough by hand or with the stand mixer until the color is evenly distributed.
- Chill the dough. Wrap each colored portion securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Prepare the oven and pans. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two or more baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form the cookies. Once chilled, portion the dough into approximately ¼-cup-sized balls using a standard ice cream scoop or a comparable utensil. Roll each portion between your hands until smooth.
- Coat with sugar. Roll every dough ball in the cane sugar, then arrange 5 cookies per prepared baking sheet. Gently press each ball with the back of a measuring cup to flatten it slightly. Scatter a small additional amount of sugar over the tops.
- Bake one sheet at a time. Place a single baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 12–14 minutes. The cookies are ready when they have spread and developed cracks across their surfaces but have not begun to brown.
- Cool the cookies. Leave the freshly baked cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
- Finish the remaining batches. Continue shaping, coating, baking, and cooling the remaining dough in the same manner until all of the cookies are finished.
Notes
Lard may be substituted for the butter-flavored shortening when a more traditional flavor is preferred.
The dough can be separated into any number of portions depending on how many cookie colors are desired.
Avoid baking until browned; the finished cookies should remain pale while displaying a spread, crackled surface.
The dough can be separated into any number of portions depending on how many cookie colors are desired.
Avoid baking until browned; the finished cookies should remain pale while displaying a spread, crackled surface.