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Prep time
3 hours 45 minutes
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Cook time
30 minutes
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makes
About 30 pigs
Author Notes
Rick's Cookie Tips:
1. Stay ahead: Make the dough months ahead; make the cookies the night before and decorate day of.
2. Be realistic: If you have 2 hours, don’t get over ambitious—make a simple cookie and spend the extra time decorating.
3. Get creative: Don’t buy gold leaf (unlike me) and use what you got in the pantry to decorate
4. Assemble your tools before baking: Sheet pan, parchment, cooling rack, oven thermometer, ice cream scoop.
5. Carry on: Don’t forget to make a travel plan: Deli quart containers are great for stacking simple cookies; clean unused pizza boxes are great for elaborate works of art. —Rick Martinez
Watch This Recipe
Chocolate-Covered Marranitos
Ingredients
- Cookies
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3 3/4 cups
(468 grams) all-purpose flour
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1 cup
(140 grams) whole wheat flour
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1/2 cup
(42 grams) Dutch processed cocoa
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2 teaspoons
ground allspice
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1/2 teaspoon
ground chile de arbol or cayenne
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1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
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1 teaspoon
baking powder
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1 cup
(227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1 cup
(214 grams) grated or granulated piloncillo or dark brown sugar
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2/3 cup
robust-flavored (dark) molasses
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1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt
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2
large eggs, at room temperature
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2 teaspoons
pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Chocolate Dip
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1 1/2 cups
(255 grams) dark or bittersweet chocolate wafers or chocolate chips
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2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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Sprinkles, candied ginger, crushed candy canes, edible glitter, edible gold leaf, for decorating
Directions
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Whisk all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa, allspice, chile de arbol or cayenne, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl until completely combined.
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Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, piloncillo, and salt in a large bowl, scraping down sides and bottom as needed, until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add 2 eggs, (one at a time), vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add molasses and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl to ensure there are no steaks of butter remaining. Dough will be sticky but will set as it chills. Wrap tightly in plastic, pat down to ¾” square and chill at least 3 hours and up to 24.
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Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Divide dough into four pieces so you can work with each more easily. Return the others to the fridge. Take one piece and place on heavily floured parchment paper on a clean work surface. flour the top of the dough and place another parchment on top and roll out to ¼” thick. Punch out pigs with a lightly floured cutter and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1/2" apart. Arrange scraps in an even layer , cover with plastic, and freeze 10 minutes if soft. Top with same parchment parchment, roll and cut. Repeat with remaining dough and scraps.
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Bake until the cookies have puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on tray for 10 minutes; transfer to a rack to cool completely.
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In a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water, add chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
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Drizzle, dip, or brush cooled cookies in or with chocolate, and decorate with various garnishes as desired.
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Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 month ahead; wrap tightly and freeze. Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead; store undecorated cookies airtight at room temperature. Decorate just before serving.
Rick Martinez is currently living his dream—cooking, eating and enjoying the Mexican Pacific coast in Mazatlán. He is finishing his first cookbook, Under the Papaya Tree, food from the seven regions of Mexico and loved traveling the country so much, he decided to buy a house on the beach. He is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit, New York Times and hosts live, weekly cooking classes for Food Network Kitchens. Earlier this year, he was nominated for a James Beard Award for “How to win the Cookie Swap” in Bon Appétit’s holiday issue.
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