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Piggy cookies

Servings:
Makes about 25 to 30 medium-sized cookies Servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup firmly packed, chopped or grated piloncillo, or dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 cup ceylon or true cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, thickly sliced, plus more to grease the baking sheets
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 4 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting to roll the dough
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon egg, lightly beaten, for glaze

Preparation

Baking Directions:

In a medium 3-quart saucepan, combine the piloncillo, the water and cinnamon.

Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the piloncillo dissolves and the liquid thickens to a light syrup.

Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon stick.

You should have about 1 1/4 cups piloncillo syrup, but it need not be exact.

Add the butter and honey and stir until it melts.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Make a well in the center and pour in the piloncillo mixture.

Mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.

Add the 2 eggs and stir until thoroughly mixed.

The dough will be very sticky, runny and gooey.

Place 2 long pieces of plastic wrap, one horizontal and one vertical, in the bottom of a medium mixing bowl, letting the ends of the plastic wrap hang over the edge of the bowl.

With a rubber spatula, scrape the dough onto the plastic wrap, bring the edges of the wrap over the dough and secure tightly.

Refrigerate 2 hours up to a couple of days.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter two baking sheets.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and sprinkle flour on a countertop or cutting board as well as on a rolling pin.

Cut the dough in half.

Roll out the dough, which will now be firmer, until 1/4 inch thick.

Using a piggy cookie cutter (or other shapes, but then you may need to change the name!), press straight down on the dough, moving the cutter gently on the counter top to make it easier to lift the shaped dough from the counter to the baking sheet.

Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.

Gently brush the cookie tops with the lightly beaten egg.

Repeat to make the remaining cookies.

If the dough becomes too sticky, roll it into a ball, wrap it with the plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling again.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and golden on top.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

Once cooled, sift confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon on top, if desired.