This will put you in a Cinco de Mayo baking mood: traditional Puerquitos, a soft, light, and slightly cinnamon spiced sugar cookie! The Mexican cookie making video needs no translation: it’s in the universal language of baking love. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh-Wro-uK-E . “Necessity is the mother of invention”: I needed a pig shaped cookie cutter and didn’t want to take the time to cross the bridge to La Roux, our local well stocked (Williams Sonoma). The baker in the video made a cut-out for her Piggy Cookies; I followed suit since “imitation is the highest form of flattery!” Using a small paring knife worked better than a toothpick to trace around the edges. A cookie cutter dipped in powdered sugar would have been easier. Still the results were effective!
Puerquitos – traditional Mexican Piggy Cookies – makes 16 four inch cookies
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup (5 oz.) firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup (4oz.) unsalted butter, cut into 8 – 12 pieces
2 cups (12 oz.) GF flour mix (yours, ours, or Trader Joe’s)
1/4 cup (1.25 oz.) chestnut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
Directions:
1. In a medium sauce pan combine the water and brown sugar and boil for 5 minutes or so, until the sugar has melted and the mixture has made a syrup. Stir in the honey.
2. Add the butter, stir until it’s melted.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients. Whisk to blend.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Stir to blend evenly. Add the egg, stir again to blend evenly.
5. Line a bowl large enough to hold the batter with 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pour the batter into the bowl. Draw the corners and edges of the plastic wrap together, forcing the air out and twist to form a seal. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours – two days.
6. Preheat the oven to 375F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper
7. Cut the dough in half, putting one half back into the ‘frige. Roll the other out on a GF floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. If the dough is too sticky, knead in a little extra flour. Using a pig shaped cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies have puffed and are medium brown. Note: the edges of the cookies will be more discreet if you chill the cut out cookie dough for 5-10 minutes before baking.
8. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely before sifting with confectioners’ sugar. It’s OK to sift on the sugar whilst the cookies are still a little warm on the cookie sheet….
Bonne Cinco de Mayo!
These look like a great spiced cookie and the pig shapes look very professional.
I have nominated you for a Super Sweet Blogging award. Poppy 🙂
http://bunnykitchen.com/2013/05/05/liebster-and-super-sweet-blogging-awards/