Jamoncillo De Liebre

This confection comes from an 1884 handwritten recipe notebook compiled by Guadalupe Perez in Acatzingo, Puebla, Mexico. The era was marked by the influence of both traditional Spanish and evolving Mexican cuisines, and such sweetmeats illuminate local adaptation of European nut confections into the Mexican festive table. The title is somewhat whimsical—'liebre' (hare) refers not to the animal, but to a textural or culinary stage (possibly a play on 'hebra,' meaning 'thread,' referencing a sugar stage). Such recipes were treasured family knowledge, rarely printed, and carefully passed hand to hand among women cooks of the region. Jamoncillo, in various forms, remains a beloved treat in Mexican confectionery, reflecting both colonial inheritance and local resourcefulness.

Back in 1884, most sweetmakers would have relied on a heavy copper or cast-iron pot for cooking their sugar and milk mixture over a wood- or charcoal-fired stove. Stirring was done with a strong wooden spoon for even mixing and to prevent scorching. Blanched almonds would be ground using a stone metate or a hand-cranked grinder. The final mixture was poured into small, wooden or tin-lined square molds, lined with thin edible obleas (wafer paper), which kept the sticky candy from adhering to the forms. Eggs were separated by hand, and all whisking was done manually. Precision was achieved by keen eye and touch, especially for determining the sugar’s thread stage.