Marranitos (or cochinos, or puerquitos, as are they are called in some Mexican-American communities) are often called ‘Gingerbread Pigs,’ although they don’t actually have ginger in them – and no cinnamon either. In fact, traditional marranitos get their delicious spicy-brown goodness from molasses. This recipe is a trans-pecos region variation, it uses the non-traditional addition of cinnamon. You may wish to try also adding a bit of dry ground ginger, and you may use a milk wash instead of an egg wash.
Original recipe makes 15 large cookies
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup unsulfured molasses
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
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PREP
20 mins
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COOK
15 mins
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READY IN
35 mins
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and shortening until smooth. Mix in 1 egg, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the baking soda, cinnamon, and molasses. Mix in flour until the dough is stiff enough to roll out.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into cookies using a pig shaped cookie cutter. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the remaining beaten egg over the tops of the cookies.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the centers of the cookies appear dry and edges are lightly browned.
Nutrition
Calories: 359 kcal
Carbohydrates: 73 g
Cholesterol: 29 mg
Fat: 4.7 g
Fiber: 1.5 g
Protein: 6.2 g
Sodium: 151 mg