Marranitos / Cochinitos / Puerquitos (Mexican Pig-Shaped Cookies)
Marranitos are often called "Gingerbread Pigs." Traditional marranitos get their delicious spicy-brown flavor from molasses. They are rich and oh so gratifying, their cake-like texture is reminiscent of shortbread, very lightly spiced, and deeply flavored from the traditional dark unrefined sugar known as piloncillo. Marranitos are perfect to accompany a hot cup of coffee or Champurrado (Mexican Hot Chocolate)
Servings: 18 large cookies
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups packed grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cups butter or shortening at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or Mexican vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup molasses
- ¼ cup honey
- 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour depending on altitude (see notes below)
To finish:
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
- Beat piloncillo and butter together in a large bowl until combined (they won't really cream together, just beat as best as you can). Add the egg, milk, and vanilla bean paste and beat again until smooth. Add baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, molasses, and honey. Beat until well combined.
- Beat in 3 cups of the flour. Gradually add remaining flour, switching from mixer to a wooden spoon once the dough starts to become too stiff (so that you don't burn out your mixer). The dough will seem a bit crumbly, but once you've stirred in as much of the flour as you can, use your hands to quickly knead in the rest of the flour. You're looking for a dough that you're able to roll out.
- Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and turn the dough out onto it. Pull the dough together into a large disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a couple of sheet trays with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Cut dough in half and wrap one halfback in plastic wrap, set aside (or refrigerate for now). Roll another half of dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ¼" thickness. Use a large pig-shaped cookie cutter (dip in a bit of flour) to cut out pig-shaped cookies. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll dough and repeat. Repeat with another half of dough when ready.
- Brush a thin coat of the beaten egg over the dough before you put it into the oven.
- Slide into a preheated oven and bake in the middle rack for 10 to 15 minutes or until cookies just start to turn golden around the edges and are just cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. For storage, cover them with a clean, lightweight dishcloth to keep them soft.
Notes
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Gradually Add Flour. Keep in mind that altitude affects how much flour you’ll need. At higher altitudes, you may need less flour, while at lower altitudes, a little more might do the trick. Adjust gradually to get the perfect texture.
- Don’t Overwork It. I recommend switching to a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk to add the last bits of flour so you don’t accidentally work the dough too much. (Overworking the dough increases gluten production, which can result in tough cookies.)
- Room Temp. Bring the egg and milk to room temperature before mixing the dough; this will help prevent the butter or shortening from seizing, which can make it harder to mix in all the dry ingredients.
- Use a piggy cookie cutter for this recipe.
- Allow the baked marranitos to cool completely to room temperature on the wire rack before storing, then separate them with sheets of waxed paper or parchment in an airtight container to prevent sticking.
- They’ll keep well at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping them individually in plastic wrap before transferring to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag (preferred) with as much air removed as possible to ward off freezer burn.
Nutrition
Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg