Puerquitos

§ PROCEDURE

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the chopped piloncillo and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until fully dissolved, then simmer until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. Yields approximately 250 ml of syrup.
3. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly alongside the syrup.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
5. Once the piloncillo syrup and melted butter are cool, combine them, then add to the dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ½ inch thick. Cut with a pig-shaped cookie cutter, re-rolling scraps as needed.
7. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.
8. In a small bowl, beat the egg. Brush it over the top of each cookie.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

§ OBSERVED RESULT

The cookies emerge golden, faintly caramelized, carrying the deep sweetness particular to piloncillo. Shape appears to influence enjoyment independent of taste: subjects report higher satisfaction when the cookie resembles a familiar animal, a correlation the researcher has logged but not yet explained. Size variation is similarly well-received, the humans do not seem to require uniformity.