Polvorones (Tri-Color Mexican Sugar Cookies)
If you have visited a Mexican panaderia (bakery) you might have seen tri-color Mexican cookies, called polvorones. Traditional polvoronesare in the shape of a triangle, featuring pink, yellow, and dark chocolate colors. They are tender and lightly crunchy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups wheat flour sifted
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Pink or Red Food Coloring
- Yellow food coloring
- Granulated sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter, shortening, and powdered sugar together until smooth.
- While mixer is set on low, add in the egg, vanilla and baking powder.
- Turn the stand mixer off. Gradually, add in wheat flour and turn mixer on to combine ingredients after each round of additional wheat flour.
- Remove mixture from your bowl. Gently knead the dough with your hands on a work surface lightly dusted with flour.
- Divide the dough into three equal parts and place in separate glass bowls. Add pink or red food coloring into one portion of dough and knead until desired color. Add yellow food coloring to the second bowl and knead until desired color. Add cocoa powder to the last dough ball and knead until thoroughly combined.
- Cover the containers of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each color into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2-inches and 16 to 18-inches long (for mini cookies). Place the three colors side by side on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover tightly with plastic and roll gently to fuse the three colors together. I shaped the cookie dough roll into a square, but feel free to adjust for round cookies, or place two rolls of cookie dough on the bottom and one on the top to form a triangle.
- Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take the dough out of the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and over a clean surface, cut the cylinder of dough into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
- Place cookies onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden.
- Dust with granulated sugar while warm.
Notes
- While I love making these tri-colored Mexican shortbread cookies to look and taste like my childhood favorites, there's plenty of room to customize them to your liking.
- Similar to shortbread cookies, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for two weeks or frozen for up to two months.
While I love making these tri-colored Mexican shortbread cookies to look and taste like my childhood favorites, there's plenty of room to customize them to your liking.
Mexican Wedding Cookies - Omit the cocoa and food coloring. Add about 1/2 cup of chopped, roasted nuts to the dough and skip the shaping step. These should be formed into a slight dome shape, so use a cookie scooper to assist you. Bake as directed, then cool entirely before sprinkling liberally with powdered sugar. Polvorones de Canela - These are essentially the Mexican version of snickerdoodles. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough, omitting the cocoa and food coloring. Roll into a single log, then slice and bake as directed. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while still warm. Different Colors - Pink, yellow, and brown triangles are the polvorones I grew up with, but since then I've taken to making them in different colorways to suit different needs. Consider making a batch with your school colors for the annual PTA bake sale, go red, white & green for Christmas, etc. Mix-Ins - Citrus zest, flavor extracts, warming spices, and finely chopped nuts are all fair game. You can also add a dab of jam, jelly, or cajeta in the center of larger cookies or use the preserves to sandwich two cookies together.
- Mexican Wedding Cookies - Omit the cocoa and food coloring. Add about 1/2 cup of chopped, roasted nuts to the dough and skip the shaping step. These should be formed into a slight dome shape, so use a cookie scooper to assist you. Bake as directed, then cool entirely before sprinkling liberally with powdered sugar.
- Polvorones de Canela - These are essentially the Mexican version of snickerdoodles. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough, omitting the cocoa and food coloring. Roll into a single log, then slice and bake as directed. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while still warm.
- Different Colors - Pink, yellow, and brown triangles are the polvorones I grew up with, but since then I've taken to making them in different colorways to suit different needs. Consider making a batch with your school colors for the annual PTA bake sale, go red, white & green for Christmas, etc.
- Mix-Ins - Citrus zest, flavor extracts, warming spices, and finely chopped nuts are all fair game. You can also add a dab of jam, jelly, or cajeta in the center of larger cookies or use the preserves to sandwich two cookies together.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 40cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 80
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cookie | |
| Calories | 80kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 8g | 3% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 11mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 3mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 20mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 79IU | 2% |
| Calcium | 6mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.