Baked Tortilla Cookie & Crème Recipe
our family recipe, cinnamon & sugar, horchata whipped crème
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Ingredients
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Tortilla Cookies
Horchata Whipped Crème
Assembly & Garnish
Method
Tortilla Cookies
- 1
Preheat and prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Have a pastry brush and a small bowl ready for the butter.
- 2
Make cinnamon-sugar
In a shallow bowl combine the granulated sugar (0.5 cups), ground cinnamon (2 tbs), and 1/8 tsp of the fine salt. Stir until evenly mixed. This is your coating mixture.
- 3
Cut tortillas
Stack the tortillas and use a 2 1/2–3 inch round cookie cutter (or a sharp knife) to cut out rounds; you should get about 4–6 rounds per tortilla depending on size. Alternatively cut into 8 wedges per tortilla if you prefer triangular cookies. Transfer cut pieces to a tray.
- 4
Brush and coat
Brush both sides of each tortilla piece lightly with melted butter (about 3 tbs total). Work in small batches: after brushing, immediately place the piece into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and press lightly so the coating adheres. Shake off excess and arrange pieces in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space for air to circulate.
- 5
Bake until crisp
Bake in the preheated oven 8–12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through and watching closely: the edges should turn golden brown and the tortillas should be crisp. If you see them browning too quickly, reduce oven temp by 25°F (15°C).
- 6
Cool
Remove from oven and let the tortilla cookies cool on the sheet for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely — they will crisp further as they cool.
Horchata Whipped Crème
- 7
Chill equipment
Place a medium mixing bowl and the beaters/whisk in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes to chill — cold equipment helps the cream whip faster and hold shape.
- 8
Combine ingredients
In the chilled bowl pour the cold heavy cream (1.5 cups), powdered sugar (3 tbs), chilled horchata (0.333 cups), vanilla extract (1 tsp), ground cinnamon (0.25 tsp) and 1/8 tsp fine salt. Stir briefly to start incorporating the powdered sugar.
- 9
Whip to soft peaks
Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed (or a whisk by hand), whip the mixture until soft to medium peaks form — the cream should be billowy and hold gentle peaks but still be slightly loose so it can be spooned or piped. Avoid whipping to stiff peaks; the horchata thins the cream, so stop when you reach soft/medium peaks.
- 10
Chill to set
Cover the whipped crème and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to let flavors meld and the texture firm slightly. Stir gently before serving; if it loosens too much, chill a bit longer.
Assembly & Garnish
- 11
Plate
Spoon or pipe a dollop (about 2–3 tbs) of horchata whipped crème onto serving plates or a shared platter. Arrange 4–6 warm (or room-temperature) baked tortilla cookies alongside or stacked partially into the crème for presentation.
- 12
Finish
Dust the whipped crème and cookies lightly with the reserved ground cinnamon (about 1/8 tsp) and, if using, sprinkle a small pinch of flaky sea salt over the cookies to heighten the sweetness. Serve immediately so the cookies remain crisp; leftovers can be stored separately (cookies at room temperature in an airtight container, crème refrigerated).
