Sugar and Cinnamon Cookies
Hojarascas
Recipe Yield
30 cookies
Cooking time
20 minutes
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 8 ounces piloncillo (about a generous cup)
- 1 cup water
- 1 inch stick true cinnamon or canela
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups masa harina
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk
For the coating:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground canela or true cinnamon
To Prepare
- Place the piloncillo in a small saucepan along with the cinnamon stick. Cover with 1 cup water and set over low-medium heat, and let it cook and strongly simmer, covered with a lid, for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, the piloncillo should be mostly dissolved, and continue cooking at a strong simmer, now uncovered, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Strain the piloncillo syrup into a measuring cup and discard the cinnamon stick. (You should have about ½ cup. If you have less, add a bit of water. If you have more, use only ½ cup.) Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, masa harina, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer set with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and vegetable shortening over medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until very creamy. Reduce speed to low, add the piloncillo syrup (it may have solidified a little bit, but it should still be soft and malleable) and continue beating for a minute until it incorporates. Add the egg and beat for another minute until it is completely incorporated.
- Using a large spoon or measuring cup, add the flour mixture in batches. Lastly, add the milk and continue beating for a minute or two until you have a soft, malleable, and homogeneous dough. Gather it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, remove dough from refrigerator. Place two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350℉. Cover two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- To make the coating, in an extended bowl, mix the sugar with the cinnamon.
- Generously flour your countertop, your hands, and a rolling pin. Split the dough into four pieces. One at a time, roll the dough out to about ⅓-inch thickness. You may flip it gently once or twice as you do. The dough will look as if it cracks as you roll, that is ok! You can pinch it or press it back together.
- Use a cookie cutter of any shape you like, to cut the dough into pieces of about 2-inches in diameter. One by one, dip the cookies, gently, as they may want to crumble, in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place on the parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes, until they turn a light golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven, sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top if you want, and let cool.
Comments
40comments inSugar and Cinnamon Cookies
Angelle
Dec 17
Can this dough be made ahead of time and frozen? Making this for my daughter’s Mexican Posada at school and trying to work out when I should make them. Thanks!
Pati Jinich
Dec 20
I do not see why not Angelle 😉
Dianne
Oct 08
Hello Pati,
Really enjoy your cooking show at home and on the Frontera. I noticed you don’t use any leavening, except an egg, will they rise like the ones that I buy at La Placita.
Thank you,
Dianne
Pati Jinich
Nov 06
Hi Dianne, these cookies are not supposed to rise really, they need to end up being crunchy and crumbly of sorts 😉
Carmen Shrimplin
Aug 29
If I don’t have piloncillo here in our town, could I substitute it with brown sugar?
Thank you
Pati Jinich
Sep 04
Absolutely Carmen, you can use dark brown sugar or molasses!
Anonymous
Aug 26
Guava pie recipe
Pati Jinich
Sep 04
Here you go, enjoy! https://patijinich.com/guava-pie/
Irene Martinez
Jun 02
Pati, eres un “Inspiración para mi! Siempre anhelo verte y ver como Dios nos hizo a todos diferentes. Tus resetas y Tus viejas son de maravilla. Gracias ❤️🙏
Pati Jinich
Nov 25
Que amable Irene, mil gracias por tu mensaje!
Carmen
Apr 14
Is it best to substitute shortening with manteca or butter?
Pati Jinich
Jun 15
It is up to you Carmen, I think both would be equally delicious!
Cecilia Martinez
Feb 13
I love your show so educational. Thank you so much
Pati Jinich
Mar 08
Thanks to you for following Cecilia!
CO Cyclist
Dec 19
Are your Sugar & Cinnamon Cookies the same as Biscochitos?
Thanks, Patti!
I love your show & recipes!!
Pati Jinich
Jan 08
Might be, but basically they are Hojarascas 🙂
Betsie Kasner
Apr 17
To CO Cyclist. The two cookies are similar in that both are a type of sugar cookie and are coated with a cinnamon sugar. But they are not the same. Biscochitos always have anise seeds which gives them a unique flavor. The shortening in biscochitos is often lard. And there is no piloncillo in biscochitos. Both cookies are delicious.
Karen
Dec 10
I believe this recipe is the same way my Grandma Elvira made her cookies. I have never been able to find a recipe like it until now. I am so glad I found this one. Thank you for sharing.
Pati Jinich
Jan 02
My pleasure Karen, enjoy the hojarascas!
Shelley Martin.
Dec 04
I have never made these.
My piggie cookie cutter was larger than your 4″so my cookies came out huge!
They taste good. Almost like a soft sugar cookie. I sprinkled mine with cinnamon and sugar before baking.
It is supposed to be soft cookie, right?
Pati Jinich
Jan 02
Yes, it is a soft cookie, so glad you made them Shelley!
Debbie Z
Dec 01
On TV you added the egg then the syrup last. Here you add the syrup then the egg… does it matter? Also should the syrup be cooled? warm?
hot?
Pati Jinich
Jan 02
You can add either first, just make sure the syrup has cooled down even if it has become a bit “solid” again.
Heather Mckiness
Nov 15
Patio, can I use all masa? My dad has a gluten allergy’?
Pati Jinich
Dec 11
You may try, but I suspect the texture will be way to grainy Heather 🙁
Melissa
Mar 26
Heather,
You could substitute King Arthur Measure for Measure GF flour. It is a great all-purpose GF substitute.
¡Buen provecho!
Carmen
Nov 15
Love this? If we can’t find the masa harina, is theee a substitution for it? Can we use other brands corn flour?
Pati Jinich
Dec 11
Of course Carmen 🙂
Itzel Martinez Flores
Nov 15
La masa harina es como la Maseca?
Pati Jinich
Dec 11
Si, es harina de maiz 🙂
Anonymous
Nov 13
Looks amazing!!!
Pati Jinich
Dec 11
Yay!
Mari Juarez
Nov 13
Never heard of a cookie made with masa harina. Can’t wait to make them. Thank you for the recipe.
Pati Jinich
Dec 11
Enjoy Mari, you are going to love the texture!
Amanda
Nov 12
What is masa harina? Is that Maseca?
Pati Jinich
Nov 17
It is corn flour Amanda, you can use your favorite 🙂
Angie
Sep 18
My Mother used to make these cookies for Christmas every year and I have ever been able to find the recipe!! I’m so happy to see this and can’t wait to make them. Thank you!!!
Pati Jinich
Sep 26
My pleasure, enjoy!
Helen Lilia Hilton Padilla
Sep 08
Una tradición y excelente receta. Muchas gracias por compartir
Pati Jinich
Sep 11
Con mucho gusto Helen!