Buttery shortbread cookies ~ STRAWBERRY, Vanilla and CHOCOLATE ~ that melt in your mouth ~ sprinkled with Sparkling Sugar before baking. Not hard to make, and they freeze & ship well too.
Mini POLVORONES (Tri-Color Mexican Cookies)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened……………1 egg
1 cup white sugar ~or~ plain white Splenda (NOT baking blend)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (i.e. Crisco)...................2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract……………………………………….1/2 tsp. salt
2 TB strawberry jello powder (can be sugar-free)
1/2 tsp. baking soda (ONLY if using Splenda).............1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. dark chocolate syrup (or sugar-free).................1 tsp. instant coffee powder
2-3 drops red food coloring……………………..…… .2TB dark unsweetened cocoa powder
Clear Sparkling sugar ~or~ plain white Splenda
***
Beat the shortening, butter and sugar with your mixer until creamy and light in color (about 2 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Divide dough into 3 parts ~ leaving 1/3 in the mixer bowl.
Add the red food coloring plus strawberry jello powder to the dough in mixer bowl ~ beat until the dough is pink and blended well. Take the pink dough out and set aside.
Put another 1/3 dough in mixer bowl. Add cocoa powder, chocolate syrup and instant coffee powder to the dough in bowl ~ beat until well blended.
You will make 2 rolls about 12” long with each color, so divide each color in half. With your hands, roll each portion of dough into logs. Put plain and pink logs next to each other and the cocoa log on top (it will be somewhat a triangle). Put dough triangle onto a sheet of saran wrap (I laid the saran on top of the roll, and then rolled it back to cover entire roll with saran); wrap tightly & stick into freezer briefly about 15 min.
Preheat the oven to 350 and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove a dough log from the freezer (leave other one in until ready to cut it). Unwrap & slice each 12" log into 1" pieces. Put on baking sheets (I staggered 5 or 6 to a baking sheet) ~ flatten with your hands or anything flat; sprinkle with Sparkling Sugar (or extra Splenda).
Bake about 13-16 minutes until firm to touch (almost or barely turning golden at bottom edges). Cool on baking sheets a few minutes, then remove and finish cooling on racks or paper. Makes about 2 dozen.