Polvorones (Tri-Color Mexican Sugar Cookies)
If you’ve ever visited a Mexican panadería, you’ve likely seen these colorful tri-color cookies known as polvorones. Traditionally shaped into triangles and tinted pink, yellow, and chocolate brown, these tender, lightly crunchy shortbread cookies are a bakery favorite — and now you can make them at home!
Servings: 40 cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted (if you prefer a sweeter cookie, consider adding an extra tablespoon or two of powdered sugar to the dough)
- 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
- Sweetness Tip: These cookies are not overly sweet by design. If you prefer a sweeter cookie, consider adding an extra tablespoon or two of powdered sugar to the dough.
- Storage: See full storage tips above, but in short — polvorones can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for 2 months.
- Mexican Wedding Cookies: Omit cocoa and food coloring. Add ½ cup chopped nuts, shape into domes, bake, and dust with powdered sugar once cooled.
- Polvorones de Canela: Add 1 tsp cinnamon, skip food coloring, and dust warm cookies with cinnamon sugar.
- Different Colors: Customize to match holidays or events (e.g., red, white & green for Christmas).
- Flavor Variations: Add citrus zest, extracts, nuts, or a dab of jam in the center.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg