Campechanas
Campechanas are fragile, crunchy, glasslike sweet treats that crumble as you take a bite. Valle de Bravo, a town a few hours from Mexico City, has some of the best ones, but you can find them everywhere. Funnily enough, though, they are hard to find in Campeche, where their name comes from. They are a bit tricky to make, but once you start, you’ll quickly get the hang of it. You may be surprised by the amount of fat that goes into these, especially because you couldn’t tell from eating them. The lard or shortening is what makes these incredibly flaky. You will need a very thin rolling pin that is at least 15 inches long and no thicker than the stick of a broom; you can find one at a hardware store or a woodshop.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 to 1 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Beat 2 ounces of the lard with 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a mixer with a hook attachment until almost fully combined. Gradually add the water and continue to mix on medium speed until the mixture comes off the sides of the bowl and is smooth, 10 to 15 minutes. Divide the dough in half, cutting it with a bench scraper or knife but not tearing it, roll it lightly, and smear the tops with some of the remaining lard using your hands. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Step 2
In a bowl, combine 4 ounces of the remaining lard with the butter and the remaining 1 cup flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined. Set aside.
Step 3
Grease a work surface with some of the remaining 8 ounces lard and flatten one of the halves of the dough with your hands into a rectangle. Grease a thin rolling pin (see headnote) and roll the dough as thin as possible, without tearing, into a rectangle about 12 inches wide by 4 inches long. Turn the dough so the width is closest to you.
Step 4
Smear half of the reserved flour-fat mixture evenly on top of the rolled-out dough. Grease the rolling pin with a little more lard and roll the dough tightly but carefully onto the rolling pin. Make sure your hands are greased (use a bit more lard if you need to). Grab an end of the rolling pin with one hand and pull the dough out with the other. You will now have a dough that looks a bit like a snake. Stretch it out to the sides so that the roll is about 25 inches long and about 1/2 inch thick. Flatten the dough by lightly pressing it with your hands or the rolling pin and cut into twelve 4-inch pieces. Place on a baking sheet (no need to line it or grease it), and lightly flatten the rectangles with your hands so they are a bit like ovals. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough and the remaining half of the flour-fat mixture.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 6
Set the racks in the top half of the oven, smear a bit more of the remaining lard on top, and liberally sprinkle with the remaining 1 to 1 1/4 cups sugar (don’t be shy). Tap any excess sugar from the baking sheets by tilting them, then bake, turning the sheets halfway through so they bake evenly (or bake them one at a time), until the pastries are puffed and slightly brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the temperature to 425°F and continue baking, watching closely, until the tops are shiny and golden, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool before eating.
