Hojarascas (Cinnamon Orange Shortbread)

Name: Hojarascas (Cinnamon Orange Shortbread)
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 200g unsalted butter, softened; 80g caster sugar; 1 orange, finely grated zest and 2 tbsp juice; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 300g plain flour; 0.5 tsp baking powder; 0.25 tsp fine salt; 60g caster sugar, for coating; 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Thin, crumbly cinnamon shortbread with orange zest, traditionally baked for Day of the Dead.

Time50 min
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.15 a head
Oven170°C (150°C fan)

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

16 biscuits

Ingredients

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200 gunsalted buttersoftened
80 gcaster sugar
1orangefinely grated zest and 2 tbsp juice
1 tspvanilla extract
300 gplain flour
½ tspbaking powder
¼ tspfine salt
60 gcaster sugarfor coating
2 tspground cinnamon

Method

1
Beat the butter, 80 g sugar, orange zest and vanilla for 2 minutes until creamy.
2
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into the butter with the orange juice to form a soft dough. Chill for 20 minutes.
20 min
3
Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Roll the dough to 5 mm thick and cut into 6 cm rounds. Place on lined trays.
4
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until pale and just firm. They should not brown much.
15 min
5
Mix the coating sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. While the biscuits are still warm, press them into the mix on both sides.
6
Cool on a rack. Store in a tin, where they keep well for a week.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.