Hojarascas (pronounced “oha-rascas” – the H is silent), when done right, are light, flakey and absolutely, deliciously addictive cinnamon sugar coated shortbread cookies.
As a child, I recall tasting hojarascas that were purchased from the local Mexican bakery. I found them to be heavy and dry and didn’t understand what all the fuss was about.
Not until many years later, a friend and coworker brought a tin of hojarascas (that her grandmother had made) into our office. The cookies were deliciously light, flakey and addicting. So, I thought I would look for a recipe and give them a try.
After hours of hard work, sadly my cookies were terrible! They were heavy, dry and certainly, nothing like the tasty treats my friend’s grandmother had made.
One restless night, as I was flipping through the TV channels, I came across a Mexican cooking show. Note this was back in the early 80’s prior to the well-produced food TV shows we’ve become accustomed to seeing. A young man was with his grandmother demonstrating how she made Hojarascas.
Fortunately, I am fluent in Spanish and was able to follow the broadcast. Her recipe was very similar to the one I had BUT the big difference was the method she used to make the dough. The very next day I made a batch of these cookies using my same recipe with the technique I had learned. SUCCESS! This recipe has become a part of my holiday tradition.
Hojarascas
deliciously light, flakey and addicting
- 2 Eggs
- 2 T Baking powder
- 1 C Sugar
- 5 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 Lb Pork Lard or Shortening
- 6 C All purpose flour
- Blend together cinnamon sticks with sugar. Strain the mixture into a large bowl. Add eggs, baking powder and lard. Mix until combined. Gradually, stir in flour one cup at a time. 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. Divide to dough into two equal parts, wrapping one piece in plastic wrap until ready to use. Knead the dough until smooth and pliable. You can use a standing mixer fitted with a paddle to make the job easier. 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. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
- Combine 2 C. Sugar with 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.
