Latin Twist: Christmas Cookies

This year surprise Santa with a whole new cookie  – one with a Latin twist. While the classic chocolate chip is a (delicious) cookie for any occasion, sweeten the pot this holiday season with tropical mango, dulce de leche, and a little bit (or a lot) of dark rum. Gather in the kitchen, turn up the carols, and let the scent of freshly-baked cookies waft through the house.

First up, Mexican Christmas Butter Cookies. A cross between a shortbread cookie and a snickerdoodle, these anise-flavored treats get a generous dousing of cinnamon sugar. Warm and crumbly, you can roll these cookies out and cut into your favorite holiday shapes, or simply dollop onto baking sheets and eat straight from the oven.

Brazilian Chocolate Rum Bark is an indulgent and elegant treat. Bitter dark chocolate is spiked with dark rum and hot chile pepper, topped with shining Maldon salt flakes, set and broken into luscious shards. Come morning, chocolate fingerprints will dot those presents under the tree.

The chocolate chip cookie goes tropical in Mango White Chocolate Chip Cookies. Chewy dried mango chunks are mixed into a sweet white chocolate chip cookie dough base and baked until just golden brown. Instead of milk, serve up margaritas.

If you’re looking for more traditional flavors, take a bite out of Gingersnap Alfajores. The alfajor sandwich is swapped out with a cookie dough laced with holiday flavors of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom then slathered with irresistible dulce de leche.

Rounding out the cookie jar, crumbly and winter white Mexican Wedding Cookies. The almond dough is infused with orange zest, and then bathed in powdered sugar. Take a bite out of Christmas. Oh, and definitely ask Santa for more cookie jars.

Mexican Christmas Butter Cookies

For the Cookie Dough

• 1/2 pound lard (butter or shortening can be used too)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg (plus 1 egg yolk)
• 1 teaspoon anise seed extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sweet white wine

For the Cinnamon Sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Get the full recipe.

Mango White Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 stick butter, salted or unsalted
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried mango, chopped

Get the full recipe.

Brazilian Chocolate Rum Bark (Brigadeiros Bark)

• 4 cups dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1 teaspoon Maldon salt

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Gingersnap Alfajores

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup of granulated sugar, plus additional for garnish
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, apple cider vinegar
• 4 ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dulce de leche

Get the full recipe.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

• 1 cup toasted Marcona almonds
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for coating
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• zest of one orange
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Get the full recipe.