Cochinitos de Hojaldre
It’s no secret that there is a playfulness in Mexican culture, and it is very apparent in the names and shapes of our sweet breads. One of the most amazing panaderías I’ve ever visited is Horno Los Ortiz in Morelia. The owners are some of the most creative people I’ve ever met. They spend months shaping dough into intricate figurines that will form a nativity scene like no other. Their signs, specially designed boxes, and skillfully adorned breads for the holidays are remarkable. Their artistry is still present in their daily bread, but on a much simpler and smaller scale. These little pig faces, made from flaky pastry and filled with delicious pastry cream, are similar to ones they were selling during one of my visits. They a very fun project indeed.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 5
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Roll out the puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out ten 6-inch circles and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Gather the scraps together by placing them on top of each other, overlapping a bit to stick them together (don’t form into a ball!). Roll the top lightly to smooth and even it out.
Step 2
Whip the pastry cream until smooth and divide among 5 of the circles, leaving some room around the edges. Lightly beat the egg yolks with a fork and brush along the edges. Place the remaining 5 circles on top and press tightly along the edges to seal.
Step 3
Cut out five 2-inch circles for the noses and make two little holes with a toothpick or skewer; attach the noses to the tops of the pastries with some of the egg yolk. To make the ears, cut out 10 circles that are a bit smaller than the nose and pull one side slightly so they are a bit pointy, giving them a bit of movement. Seal with some egg yolk. Refrigerate while you preheat the oven.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 5
Mix the remaining egg yolks with the milk and brush the tops of the pastries. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 6
To decorate, spread a little circle of the melted white chocolate to make eyeballs, allow to set, and then put a smaller circle of melted dark chocolate on top of the white to make the center of the eye. Play around and have some fun giving the piggies a personality of their own. (You can put the chocolate in separate plastic syringes or squeeze bottles and put them in the microwave for a few seconds to melt, then squeeze the chocolate onto the pastries.)
