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Orange Polvorones (Mexican Shortbread Biscuits)

Name: Orange Polvorones (Mexican Shortbread Biscuits)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 Oranges (zest); 60 g Cornflour; 80 g Icing sugar for dusting; 280 g Plain flour; 1 cdta Ground cinnamon; 200 g Vegetable shortening or butter; 1 cdta Vanilla extract; 80 g Icing sugar

38 min (20 prep + 18 cook) Easy 30 servings Centro de México

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Galletas arenosas de manteca con ralladura de naranja. Se deshacen en la boca.

About this recipe

Mexican lard biscuits with orange fragrance: a crumbly, sandy dough made with vegetable shortening, flour, icing sugar and orange zest, baked until they achieve a melt-in-the-mouth texture and dusted with icing sugar once cooled.

History & Origin

Polvorones arrived in Mexico from Spain, where the tradition of mantecados and polvorones from Andalusia and Castile dates back to the sixteenth century, when nuns in enclosed convents made them for religious festivals using leftover lard from other preparations. In Mexico, the recipe was adapted with local ingredients such as Ceylon cinnamon, Mexican vanilla and available citrus fruits. Orange polvorones are a speciality of central Mexico, sold in markets and traditional bakeries wrapped in coloured tissue paper. Their name comes from their 'dusty' (polvoriento) texture that crumbles when you bite into them.

Estimated cost

£8.00

Total cost

£0.27

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

Protein

12g

Carbohydrates

Fat

0.2g

Fibre

35mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Mix 280 g plain flour with 60 g cornflour, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Sift and set aside.
💡 Cornflour makes the texture softer and more crumbly
2
Beat 200 g vegetable shortening (or cold butter cut into pieces) with 80 g icing sugar until smooth. Add the zest of 2 oranges and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
3
Add the flour mixture to the shortening in two additions, mixing only until the dough comes together. Do not overwork it. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
💡 If the dough is too dry, add 1–2 tsp orange juice
4
Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper to 1 cm thickness. Cut with a 4–5 cm round cutter, or roll into 15 g balls and press them down slightly.
5
Place on the trays and bake for 15–18 minutes until the edges are lightly golden but the centres remain pale. Do not overbake.
💡 They will be very soft when they come out of the oven - this is normal. They firm up as they cool
6
Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then toss generously in icing sugar. Once completely cold, dust again with more icing sugar for the final presentation.