“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.”
