Pingüino Cookies
10.25.2023, recipes, notes
Hello from the Notes on Toast bakehouse. Recently I’ve been testing out the homemade versions of industrial cakes found at Oxxo. Oxxo is a chain convenience store found all over Mexico. It’s where you go to buy staples, chips, soda, candy…all sorts of snacks. Essentially like Family Mart in Japan or a bodega in New York…
So far I’ve shared Gansito and Dalmata cookies. The last member of the Oxxo Bakery is the Pingüino cookie. Unlike Gansito and Dalmatas, Pingüinos are not original Marinela creations. Bimbo and Marinela acquired the recipe from Hostess and introduced it into their own market in Mexico around 1966. But Hostess CupCakes had already been around in America since 1919.
So far I’ve shared Gansito and Dalmata cookies. The last member of the Oxxo Bakery is the Pingüino cookie. Unlike Gansito and Dalmatas, Pingüinos are not original Marinela creations. Bimbo and Marinela acquired the recipe from Hostess and introduced it into their own market in Mexico around 1966. But Hostess CupCakes had already been around in America since 1919.
As with many of my favorite desserts, I enjoy these best cold after a night in the fridge (as a general rule, flavor develops in the fridge). You can also have them straight out of the freezer. The only downside to freezing is a slight condensation on the coating of the cookies. Not catastrophic though.
Makes 24 cookies
World Peace Cookies by Dorie Greenspan
170g flour
28g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
155g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
134g packed light brown sugar
50g sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
142g bittersweet chocolate, chopped into fine slivers
World Peace Cookies by Dorie Greenspan
170g flour
28g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
155g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
134g packed light brown sugar
50g sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
142g bittersweet chocolate, chopped into fine slivers
Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until soft and creamy. Add the salt and vanilla.
Add all the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Toss in the chocolate slivers and fully incorporate. The dough might be crumbly, but bare with it, this is normal.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it together, and working into a ball. Divide the dough in half and shape into two separate balls. Wrap these tightly in plastic and refrigerate them for at least a couple of hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge 20-30 min before baking and preheat your oven to 325°F 175°C.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out the sandwich circles* and bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown! They are ready right before they begin to brown. It takes practice to know when to take them out, but when it doubt remove from the oven and let them cook on the hot tray for a few minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely before sandwiching them.
*Depending on the size of cookie cutter you use, you may have leftover dough. I used a 5.5cm diameter cutter. The dough freezes very well rolled in a ball and wrapped in film. You can then thaw, roll out and bake as usual.
Add all the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Toss in the chocolate slivers and fully incorporate. The dough might be crumbly, but bare with it, this is normal.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it together, and working into a ball. Divide the dough in half and shape into two separate balls. Wrap these tightly in plastic and refrigerate them for at least a couple of hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge 20-30 min before baking and preheat your oven to 325°F 175°C.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out the sandwich circles* and bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown! They are ready right before they begin to brown. It takes practice to know when to take them out, but when it doubt remove from the oven and let them cook on the hot tray for a few minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely before sandwiching them.
*Depending on the size of cookie cutter you use, you may have leftover dough. I used a 5.5cm diameter cutter. The dough freezes very well rolled in a ball and wrapped in film. You can then thaw, roll out and bake as usual.
For the black sesame coating, melt 200g of bittersweet chopped chocolate over a hot bath. While still warm, mix in 1 tbsp of black sesame paste and 1/2 tbsp coconut oil. Try to keep the chocolate sesame mix slightly lukewarm to coat the cookies. This helps maintain a fluid consistency which is easier to handle when dipping the cookies into it.
Take half the cookie rounds and spoon the melted chocolate mix on the top side of each to coat. Decorate with black sesame seeds before they set then lay them out on a rack for a few minutes.
For the squiggle, melt white chocolate over a hot bath, allow to cool and carefully fill a pastry sleeve with it. Decorate the tops of the cookies with the white chocolate.
