Marranitos (Mexican Pig Pan Dulce)

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (455 grams)
• ½ teaspoon fine grain salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ cup (98 grams) piloncillo (or dark brown sugar) (shaved until fine consistency (see notes below))
• ⅔ cup molasses (225 grams)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 3 Tablespoons evaporated milk (45 ml)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (28 grams) (softened at room temperature)
• 1 large egg (to brush the cookies) (room temperature)
• extra flour for kneading the dough

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Set aside.

2. 2

   IIn a separate large bowl, add the shaved piloncillo (or dark brown sugar), molasses, 1 egg, evaporated milk, vanilla extract. Using a spatula or your hands, mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

3. 3

   Make the dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix with a spatula or your hands until a dough starts to form. If the dough is be a bit sticky—add a little extra flour (a tablespoon at a time) until it's soft but manageable.

4. 4

   Note: the dough will be a little sticky due to the molasses but it should not leave any residue on your hands when handling it.

5. 5

   Shape the dough into a flat square disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.

6. 6

   Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. 7

   Lightly flour your work surface, place the dough on your surface then sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough. Roll out the dough to about ¼ to ⅓ of an inch.

8. 8

   Use a pig-shaped cookie cutter (around 5 to 6 inches) to cut out the cookies. Place them on the baking sheets, leaving a little space in between. Bring together the scraps, re-roll the dough and cut out more cookies.

9. 9

   Beat the second egg in a small bowl. Lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the egg wash to give them a nice shine.

10. 10

    Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops look slightly firm. They should still feel soft in the center—they’ll continue to set as they cool.

11. 11

    Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.