Jamoncillo is traditional Mexican fudge, but if you know any Spanish, you also recognize that the literal translation is “little ham.”
So, how does fudge get named after a piglet? It seems that original versions of this Mexican fudge recipe tinted the fudgy delicacies pink or red and shaped them into ham-like pieces.
But where did this sweet concoction originate? Leave it to those ingenious Maya and Mexica, who loved making similar desserts from maize, honey and fruits. Naturally, the Spanish conquest in the 16th century kicked up the cuisine, adding milk and sugar to the mix, which paved the way for milk-based Mexican sweets like fudgy jamoncillo.
During the 300 years of the colonial period, or the Spanish conquest of Mexico, Catholicism was ignited by the 12 Apostles of Mexico — a group of Franciscan friars who arrived here in 1524. Along with them came other orders: Dominicans, Augustinians and, later, Jesuits. And then came the nuns, who changed the course of sweet culinary cuisine in Mexico forever.
These Spanish nuns in convents across Mexico, especially in Mexico City, Guanajuato and Puebla, were passionate about cooking, and they are credited with the development and refinement of milk-based sweets in the country.
Their Old World techniques and ingredients (like sugar and milk) were blended with Indigenous traditions to come up with a wide variety of diverse Mexican candies like jamoncillo, marzipan and camotes (sweet-potato candies), to name a few.
The traditional jamoncillo recipe is rather simple and bland and is composed of butter, brown sugar, condensed milk and vanilla extract and is garnished with pecans. Although rich, fudgy and delicious, I thought kicking it up with some ultra-Mexican flair might be a good thing, so here’s my recipe for you.
Jamoncillo with Cinnamon, Pecans and a Mezcal, Tequila and Kahlua Combo
* Makes 16-25 pieces, depending on how large you cut them.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups (360 ml) whole milk (leche entera)
- 1 1/2 Cups (300 g) granulated sugar (azúcar estándar)
- 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) baking soda (bicarbonato de sodio)
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) vanilla extract* (extracto de vainilla)
- Mexican brands noted for their intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina Vainilla
- 2-inch (5 cm) cinnamon stick (rama de canela)
- 1/3 Cup (35 g) finely crushed pecans (nuez pecana)
For the liquor blend
- 1 Tbs. (15 ml) mezcal (for smoky, earthy depth)
- 1/2 Tbs. (7.5 ml) tequila reposado (aged, for warm, Oakey, agave flavor)
- 1/2 Tbs. (7.5 ml) Kahlúa (hint of coffee and sweetness)
- Zest of 1 lime or orange for brightness. (limón o naranja)
For the garnish
- 12–16 pecan halves (nuez pecana)
- Pinch of flaky sea salt or chili salt (sal de mar en escamas o sal con chile)
Instructions
1. Prepare the pan
- Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it. Set aside.
2. Prepare the fudge
- In a heavyweight (stainless steel or cast iron) medium pot, add milk, sugar, baking soda, vanilla and cinnamon stick. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Place pot over medium heat. Stir frequently.
- When the milk begins to foam (just before boiling), reduce heat to low.
Continue cooking for 35–45 minutes, stirring often and scraping the sides of the pot. - The mixture will get thick and dark and resemble caramel sauce.
3. Test for Doneness
- Drizzle a little of the mixture into a bowl of cold water. If it forms a soft ball, it’s ready.
4. Add Flavors and Nuts
- Remove the pot from heat. Discard the cinnamon stick.
- Immediately stir in mezcal, tequila, Kahlúa and citrus zest.
- Add crushed pecans and mix well to distribute.
5. Beat, Set, Pour
- Stir the mixture vigorously for 5–7 minutes with a wooden spoon to help it cool and thicken.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth the top.
- While still warm, gently press pecan halves into the surface so each future square will feature a pecan on top.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt or chili salt for extra pizzazz, if desired.
6. Cool and Serve
- Let cool to room temperature, then put into refrigerator for at least 2 hours until firm.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Disfruta!
Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).
