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Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar

Polvorones (Mexican Tricolor Shortbread Cookies)

Polvorones (Mexican Tricolor Shortbread Cookies) imperial

Ingredients

  • 2 cups + 4 tablespoons (425 grams) shortening butter flavored, room temperature
  • 3 3/8 cups (425 grams) Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar, sifted
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups + 2 tablespoons (500 grams) all-purpose flour*, sifted
  • 1 pinch pink gel edible color
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa 
  • 1 teaspoon of shortening
  • 1 tablespoon egg whites

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

  1. Cream shortening using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add confectioner's sugar one spoon at a time until all sugar dissolves, and shortening becomes a lighter color.
  2. Incorporate salt and vanilla extract until it gets integrated for about a minute.
  3. Add sifted flour in stages. Mix for 1-2 minutes at medium speed. Dough texture should be soft, but malleable, not sticky.
  4. Dust work area with flour and roll dough to form a log. Divide log into 3 equal portions. (When you are done with steps below you will have 6 logs in total.)
  5. With first log of dough, cut into 2 equal parts and form 2 thin logs. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate.
  6. With second log of dough, work in pink edible gel color either with your hands or a mixer until color is evenly distributed. Cut pink dough into 2 equal parts and roll into 2 thin logs. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate.
  7. With third log of dough, mix in cocoa powder plus 1 teaspoon of shortening. Use your hands or mixer until dough is evenly brown in color. (The shortening helps to hydrate dough and evenly mix in cocoa powder.) Cut cocoa dough into 2 equal parts and roll into 2 thin logs.
  8. To assemble cookies, take 1 pink log and brush with egg white on one side and gently press it together with 1 cocoa log.  Brush more egg white on top of cocoa and pink logs and place white vanilla log on top. Repeat with second set of colored dough.
  9. Wrap tricolor logs in parchment paper, roll it, and place them on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours before baking.
  10. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  11. Slice dough into thin 1/4-inch triangles. Place on cookie sheet at least 2-inches apart.
  12. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove one cookie from tray, and if bottom is light brown, cookies are ready.
  13. If edges of cookie become dark brown, cookies are overdone.
  14. Allow cookies to cool for 30-60 minutes. Dust with confectioner's sugar and store in an airtight container with a lid.
Imperial Sugar Insight
  • These cookies will stay fresh for about a week when properly stored.
  • You can replace all-purpose flour with corn masa flour for a gluten-free version.
  • You can use butter instead of shortening.

Recipe developed for Imperial Sugar by Adriana Martin @adrianasbestrecipes.