AI-generated image
Marranitos de piloncillo
Pig-shaped gingerbread biscuits
Marranitos (cochinitos, puerquitos): pig-shaped piloncillo gingerbread biscuits from Mexican bakeries
Every pan dulce case in Mexico has a row of little brown pigs, called marranitos in the centre, cochinitos in the north and puerquitos in between. They are soft, cakey biscuits sweetened with dark piloncillo cane sugar, spiced with cinnamon and a touch of anise, and dunked into café de olla or cold milk in the afternoon. They are made here with butter, so they suit vegetarians, and contain egg and wheat. Chef's tip: roll the dough thick, about 1 cm, because thin pigs bake into hard crackers instead of soft cakes.
- Total time
- 42 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 7 oz piloncillo or dark muscovado sugarchopped
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp anise seeds
For the dough
- 3 ⅛ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 1 egg
- 14 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
To glaze
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 7 oz piloncillo or dark muscovado sugar, ½ cup water, 1 cinnamon stick and ½ tsp anise seeds in a small pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 6 minutes. Strain and cool until just warm.
10 minStep 2: Beat the 3 ⅛ oz unsalted butter until creamy, then beat in the warm syrup and the 1 egg.
4 minStep 3: Sift in 14 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and ¼ tsp salt and mix to a soft dough. Wrap and chill for 1 hour until firm enough to roll.
60 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F and line two trays. Roll the dough 1 cm thick on a floured worktop; rolling it thinner is the usual mistake and gives hard biscuits.
5 minStep 5: Cut out pigs with a cutter (about 9 cm), re-rolling the scraps once. Set 3 cm apart and brush with 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk.
10 minStep 6: Bake for 11–13 minutes until puffed and firm at the edges but still soft in the middle when pressed. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then on a rack; they keep a week in a tin.
13 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does marranitos de piloncillo take?
- About 42 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of piloncillo or dark muscovado sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
Avocado dip
A guacamole-style dip of ripe avocado mashed with tomato, onion, green chillies, coriander, a little sour cream, Tabasco and lemon. Make it smooth or chunky, as you like. Chill it and serve with nacho triangles.
Tomato and avocado salad
Sliced tomatoes, creamy avocado and spring onions in a honey, mustard and red wine vinegar dressing, with tortilla chips stirred in at the end for crunch. It is a quick, Mexican-style side for parties and barbecues. Add the chips just before serving and eat it straight away, before they soften.