Hojarascas Food

HOJARASCAS

Steps:

• 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!

HOJARASCAS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the shortening until light and fluffy.
• Add the sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Mix until well blended.
• Gently stir in ¼ of the flour and mix. Add another ¼ of the flour and mix. Continue the process until all the flour has been incorporated.
• Refrigerate the dough wrapped in plastic for at least 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them with shortening.
• To shape the cookies, divide the dough and, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1/3-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. (I prefer to roll out the dough over parchment paper to easily remove the already shaped cookies) Cut out the cookies using a cookie cutter, or just make small balls with the dough and then press them down with your hand
• or the bottom of a glass. Transfer to the already lined baking sheets, leaving about a one-inch space between each cookie.
• Bake for about 20 minutes until the edges are turning light gold. The cookies will be very fragile, so let them cool on the baking sheets before you move them. If you try to move them right away, they will crumble.
• Meanwhile, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or in a ziplock bag. Dust the cookies with the mixture of sugar and cinnamon and enjoy with a glass of milk.

HOJARASCAS

Steps:

• In a small pot, add 1 cup water and the cinnamon stick.
• Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside.
• Let this cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, add the shortening and sugar.
• Mix well.
• Add salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and mix well.
• Turn mixer off.
• Add 1/2 of the flour. Mix only until combined.
• Turn mixer off again.
• Add the remaining 1/2 of the flour.
• Mix only until combined.
• Turn mixer off again.
• Add half of the cooled cinnamon tea.
• Turn mixer on low.
• Add only the amount of tea necessary to bring the dough together. About 1/2 cup.
• Turn mixer off and dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour.
• Place cookie dough on the surface and roll it out evenly.
• Cut out shapes using a cookies cutter.
• Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Cool the cookies completely on a rack.
• Carefully and gently add each cookie to the bowl and cover with the sugar coating.
• Repeat until all the cookies have been coated.
• Makes about 45 cookies. Enjoy!

MEXICAN OJARASCAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sift together all dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whip together the shortening and lard until nice and light.
• Add the dry mixture slowly, one cup at a time (6 cups only first).
• Place the mixture on the countertop or on a table.
• Add the remaining dry mixture with the water and continue to knead the dough by hand until you form a good nice dough ball.
• Sprinkle some flour on the countertop or on the table and spread out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/2 inches and use a cookie cutter to make cookies.
• Place on a cookie sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
• While cookies are being baked, mix together the topping ingredients in a bowl.
• Once the cookies come out of the oven, place one by one in the sugar and cinnamon mixture one at a time and sprinkle them with this mixture.
• Place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.

MEXICAN SHORTBREAD COOKIES (OJARASCAS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Measure ¼ cup of water in a measuring glass. Add anise extract. Stir to combine and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, shortening, sugar, and cinnamon together on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
• Turn your mixer to low speed, then starting and ending with the flour, alternately add 1 cup of flour, half of the anise water, 1 cup of flour, and the remaining anise water. The dough will begin to pull away from the sides, but if the dough is still sticky, add more flour ½ cup at a time. Do not overmix or add too much flour or your dough will be tough and crumbly.
• Using your hands, shape 1 inch balls of dough and transfer to a baking sheet. Using the bottom of a cup or another flat surface, gently press on top of each ball to slightly flatten.
• Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies turn slightly brown on the edges.
• In a small bowl, add 3 teaspoons of cinnamon to 1 cup of sugar and stir to combine. Once you remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool slightly so you can pick them up (you want them to be warm though) and toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Transfer to parchment paper to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

HOJARASCAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and salt.
• Apart, combine the evaporated milk with water and pour over sugar mix and dissolve.
• Add shortening and mix well, add flour and vanilla and form a ball, leave apart 1 hours.
• Roll out dough and cut in desired shapes with your favorite cookie cutters.
• Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until golden.
• Immediately cover with sugar and cinnamon, and enjoy!

HOJARASCAS

Steps:

• 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.