Mexican Gingerbread Pig Cookies (Marranitos)
Marranitos Say it: mah-rah-NEE-tohs
Marranitos — also called puerquitos, little pigs — are the dark, glossy pig-shaped cookies sold in every Mexican panadería. They are made from a stiff dough of flour, piloncillo, molasses and warm spices, cut with a pig-shaped cutter and brushed with egg wash before baking. The texture sits pleasantly between soft and chewy, and the flavour is deep caramel with cinnamon and ginger. Not overly sweet, they are a favourite afternoon treat with coffee, milk or hot chocolate.
Mexican Gingerbread Pig Cookies (Marranitos)
Marranitos
Pronounced mah-rah-NEE-tohs
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 14 min
- Total
- 39 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
For finishing
Method
Combine the grated piloncillo, water, molasses, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup smells fragrant, about 4 minutes; it should be smooth, not boiling. Pour into a bowl and let cool until just lukewarm.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy and lightened, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, until fully incorporated and glossy.
Stir the cooled syrup into the butter mixture. Add the flour and baking soda and mix with a wooden spoon, then your hands, until a stiff, slightly tacky dough forms that pulls away from the bowl.
Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days) so it firms up and the spices mellow.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
Cut out pig shapes with a pig-shaped cookie cutter (about 4 inches / 10 cm), pressing firmly. Transfer to the sheets, spacing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, and gather and reroll the scraps once.
Brush each cookie lightly with egg wash, avoiding the edges so it doesn't pool. Bake one sheet at a time for 12–14 minutes, until puffed, set and deep golden brown at the edges with a glossy top.
Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely; they firm as they cool but stay chewy in the middle.
Regional variants
Many panaderías make the dough with lard instead of butter for a more traditional, slightly flakier crumb, and some bakers add a little orange zest or a pinch of ground anise to the syrup.
Cook's notes
- Grate piloncillo on the coarse side of a box grater — hard cones are much easier to melt that way.
- Roll the dough evenly; thicker cookies stay soft, thinner ones turn crisp and dark quickly.
- Pull the cookies from the oven while the centres still look slightly soft, as they set as they cool.
Serve with
Coffee, a glass of cold milk or Mexican hot chocolate.
Make ahead and storage
Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 5 days; the dough can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months.
