Cochinitos (aka marranitos)

I'm so excited to finally had some time to share my first recipe. A little self-disclosure, I hate, yes hate, when bloggers tell you everything about their life before sharing the recipe. So without further due, here is my recipe for making cochinitos, also known as marranitos. 

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups of turbinado sugar*
4 tbs butter at room temperature **
1 egg at room temperature
1 extra egg for egg wash
1/3 cup lukewarm milk 
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
5 cups flour (sift it before using)
A bit of extra flour to flour your working surface (about 1/4 cup give or take)

* You can also use melted piloncillo, but I have found that they taste almost the same and turbinado sugar is much more easy to find. I buy mine at Sprouts. If you do use melted piloncillo, wait for it to cool before adding it to the mix. If you can't find either, you can use brown sugar. 
** Yes, it needs to be at room temperature otherwise your dough will be curdled which just means that it isn't mixing properly. 

Tools
Mixer (I use a KitchenAid Mixer) and flat beater attachment
Flour sifter/strainer
Rolling pin
Medium cookie cutter in the shape of a pig
Baking tray(s)
Parchment paper
Pastry brush for the egg wash

Instructions
    First, beat the turbinado sugar and the butter on the mixer. Place the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds to get it lukewarm before adding it to the mix.
    Add the 1 egg at room temperature as well. Followed by the vanilla extract, the cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, molasses, and honey. Keep mixing until everything is combined uniformly. Add the flour little by little and keep mixing until it is combined. 
    Take the dough out of the mixer and place it inside of a container or ziplog bag or wrap it with food-grade plastic wrap. Put it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. It will be easier to work with it once it has cool down a bit. You can also split your dough in 2 and use 1 half today and the other half tomorrow. 
    In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your tray(s) with parchment paper. You can spray a bit of cooking oil on your trays before placing the parchment paper on them so the oil will act as a glue and the paper won't slide later. Locate the surface where you are planning to work and flour it; even if you are working on a silicone mat. I have found that this dough tends to stick to it after being rolled. Also flour the rolling pin. Have your cookie cutter ready. 
    Take your dough out of the refrigerator and roll it to about 1/4 in thick. Using the pig-shaped cookie cutter, cut your cookies and place them on the baking tray. You can take the left over dough, work it, and roll it again; cutting more cookies each time. Beat the 1 egg saved for the egg wash and brush the entire top surface of each cookie. Bake your tray of cookies at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes on the 3rd level from top to bottom. I like them softer, so I do 10 minutes. If you like them crispier you can do 12 minutes or more but no more than 15 or they will burn. 
     Place them on a cooling rack and enjoy! Keep the extra cookies covered. 

Pictures

Figure 1. Mixing the butter and sugar

Figure 2. It will look sandy; not like a cream. 

Figure 3. Add 1 egg and milk

Figure 4. Mix the baking soda and all other ingredients

Figure 5. It will look like an uniform soft paste

Figure 6. Don't forget to sift your flour before using

Figure 7. Add your flour to the mix a bit at a time

Figure 8. Keep mixing until the flour and paste have incorporated
into a dough. If it is straining your mixer, you can continue mixing by hand.

Take a pause to refrigerate, get your items ready, and flour your surface. 

Figure 9. Roll your dough to 1/4 in thickness

Figure 10. Cut the cookies and place them on the baking tray.
You can repeat the process with the left over dough.

Figure 11. Brush the top of each cookie with a
beaten egg using a pastry brush.

Figure 12. Bake for 10-12 minutes and
place on a cooling rack. 

That is all!
Enjoy with coffee or hot chocolate.