Jamoncillos – Sweet Milk Treats

Click here to go to printable recipe: Sweet Milk Treats – Jamoncillos

In my previous post, I shared a recipe for sweet pastries named coyotas, and mentioned that a traditional filling is jamoncillo. Although the Spanish word jamoncillo means “little ham”, this is a type of sweet made with milk, and has nothing to do with meat; the spurious name might have come from a type of this treat that is tinted in shades of light red or pink, and shaped into round shapes or blocks, resembling a piece of ham. This type of jamoncillo is traditional in the states of Veracruz and Puebla, and in addition to the basic milk and sugar, it contains blanched pumpkin seed paste; artisans also use it tinted in different colours, to shape fruits, animals and other objects, and it is said that it was created in a convent, where nuns were looking for substitutes for almond marzipan paste. Other types of jamoncillo do not contain seeds, and are flavoured with cinnamon or vanilla; convents in Mexico City and the state of Guanajuato claim the credit of their creation; an inquiry into these claims does not lead to a definite winner, but places the origin of the sweet as far back as the 16th century, during Spanish colonial times. Nowadays, these jamoncillos are traditional all around Mexico. To make a distinction, the first type is often called jamoncillo de pepita (pumpkin seed), while the latter, is referred to as jamoncillo de leche (milk based), or nationwide, simply jamoncillo. Jamoncillos de leche may be shaped as blocks, or are often extruded into cylinders, called “macarrones” for their resemblance to macaroni noodles:

Variety of traditional sweets made with milk (Mexico City, Mexico, 2019)

Another very traditional type, called Marina, is shaped into round pieces or mounds, and topped with a piece of pecan:

Marinas, round *jamoncillos* topped with pecan pieces (Mexico City, 2019)

The way to prepare jamoncillo de leche is similar to making milk caramel, just cooking for longer times to achieve a thicker, manageable paste.

Sweet Milk Treats – Jamoncillos

Printable recipe: Sweet Milk Treats – Jamoncillos

Ingredients (for one dozen)

2 cups whole cow’s milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla
12 pecan halves
Variations:
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp baking soda

Place milk in a pot over high heat, then add sugar (photo below, left); add vanilla (photo below, right):

When milk begins to foam, reduce heat to a simmer, and stir regularly (photo below, left). Continue cooking and stirring, until the bottom of the pot may be seen when the spoon runs along it, and the milk begins to change colour (photo below, right):

At this point, stir continuously so the mix will not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan, and continue cooking until it thickens to a firm paste:

Remove from heat, and allow to cool down for five minutes. It may be formed into a large block then sliced, or short rods, or for Marinas: scoop about two tablespoons of mix, and roll between clean hands, to form into a ball (photo below, left). Place ball on parchment paper (photo below, right):

Place one half pecan on top of the ball, and press down to flatten, and stick the nut to the sweet (photo below, left). Repeat with the rest of the mix and nuts. Optional: run a knife around the edge of the sweet, to create a different finish (photo below, right):

In the photo below, jamoncillos with a smooth edge on the left, and with texture from a knife, on the right and centre:

Serve these delicious treats as a dessert, as a snack, or as a party favour:

Variations:
For enhancing flavour, add a cinnamon stick to the milk at the beginning, and keep until the mix starts to thicken, then remove and discard cinnamon, and continue recipe as before.
For a darker colour, add baking soda to the milk with sugar; it will act as a darkening agent, for a caramel tone.

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