Pati’s Mexican Piggy Cookies

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the piloncillo sugar, water, and cinnamon stick and simmer for about 15 minutes. The sugar should be completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick. Stir in the butter and honey, continuing to stir until the butter melts completely.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar syrup and mix then add the beaten eggs and mix well. Transfer the sticky dough to a large zip-top bag, seal tightly and chill for 2 to 48 hours.

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and set aside. Dust a work surface with flour and roll the chilled cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies using your desired shape of cookie cutter (pig shape is traditional). Transfer cutouts to a parchment paper- or silicone-lined sheet pan, spacing them a couple inches apart, and brush with egg wash.

Bake for 9-12 minutes until the cookies are cooked through. They’ll puff up and the egg wash will dry into a glaze. Remove pan from oven. Cool cookies completely on cooling racks, then sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Store leftovers in an airtight container to maintain their soft texture.

Recipe adapted from Pati’s Mexican Table by Pati Jinich. Recipe makes approximately twenty-four 3-inch cookies.