Marranitos Enfiestados

Name: Marranitos Enfiestados
Ingredients: 1½ cups (210 g) whole wheat flour; 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon; 1 Tbsp. ground ginger; 1 tsp. ground allspice; ¼ tsp. ground cloves; 1 tsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. baking soda; 3¾ cups (469 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting; 12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided; ½ cup (100 g) plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar; 1¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided; ⅓ cup light agave syrup (nectar), honey, or light corn syrup; ½ cup (100 g) grated or granulated piloncillo or (packed) dark brown sugar; ⅓ cup robust-flavored (dark) molasses; Nonstick vegetable oil spray; Sanding sugar or sprinkles (for decorating); A 4" pig-shaped cookie cutter

By Rick Martinez

December 1, 2020

Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Sue Li

“Mexican food is not subtle,” says Rick Martinez. “But the popular pig-shaped cookies known as marranitos (or puerquitos, or chochitos, or cochis, depending on what part of the country you’re in), showcase the beauty of one ingredient: piloncillo, an unrefined dark cane sugar with a smoky molasses-caramel flavor. I love these cookies just as they are and have eaten them in almost every state in Mexico (seriously: 26 of 31, plus CDMX). But for the holidays I’m giving them my personal Sugarman touch. You know, a ‘these are gonna win the swap and then break Instagram’ kind of touch. So obviously they’re done in Beyoncé-inspired cow print with two ginger-spiced doughs—the darker one with traditional piloncillo and the lighter one with agave syrup. Plus an outline of colorful sprinkles or sanding sugar, because these piggies came to party.”

Recipe notes