Recipe excerpt from:
The Mexican Bakery
by Alex Peña
Magdalena Dough Recipe (Chapter 11)
Yield: 20, 70-gram besos
Ingredients
- 500 grams | 3 ½ cups Unbleached all-purpose flour
- 240 milliliters | 1 cup Whole milk
- 180 gram | ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- 150 grams | 3 eggs Large eggs
- 130 grams | ½ cup Raisins
- 115 grams | ½ cup Unsalted butter (cubed)
- 95 grams | ½ cup Vegetable shortening
- 15 grams | 1 tablespoon Baking powder (fast-acting)
- 5 milliliters | 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 grams | 3/8 teaspoon Fine salt
Instructions
- Presoak the raisins by combining them with the whole milk and vanilla extract. Refrigerate for 60 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine the baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour by hand using a whisk. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Add the sugar, shortening, butter, and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Attach the paddle to the mixer and cream the ingredients on 2nd speed for 2 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl.
- Set the mixer to the stir setting and add the milk and raisins, mixing for another 30 seconds.
- On low speed gradually add in the flour mixture to form a very soft dough. Mix for 1 minute on the stir setting.
- Stop the mixer, lower the bowl, and scrape the paddle and sides of the bowl using a plastic scraper.
- Continue to mix on 2nd speed for 2 minutes, followed by 2 minutes on 4th speed.
- Lower the mixing bowl and remove the dough. Place it in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap until ready to bake. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 30 minutes. If the dough becomes too cold, you may need to rework it before baking.
Relleno de Frambuesa (Raspberry Filling) Recipe
Ingredients
- 450 grams | 2 ½ cups Raspberries (frozen)
- 120 grams | ½ cup Granulated sugar
- 60 milliliters | ¼ cup Water
- 20 grams | 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 15 milliliters | 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 grams | ¼ teaspoon Fine salt
Instructions
- Add lemon juice, sugar, and salt to the raspberries and stir to combine.
- Add the mixture to a saucepan and simmer at 250°F (120°C) for 4 to 6 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
- Add the slurry to the raspberry mixture and stir until well combined.
- Remove from heat and continue to mix until fully incorporated.
- Optional: Strain the raspberry filling to remove the seeds for a smoother texture.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface of the filling to avoid condensation.
Besos Procedure
Ingredients
- 1,430 grams magdalena dough
- 560 grams raspberry filling
- 400 grams or 14-ounce bag of sweetened flake coconut
Instructions
- Using a 1-ounce portion scoop, deposit 1-ounce dough pucks onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly to allow for spread.
- Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 9 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and slightly toasted in appearance. Be sure to rotate the baking sheet halfway through to ensure even coloring.
- Once baked, allow the pucks to cool completely before assembling.
- Once cooled, gently remove the pucks from the tray. Flip half of them upside down to prepare for filling.
- Using a piping bag or small spoon, place a generous dollop of raspberry filling onto the flat side of each inverted puck.
- Top with a second puck, pressing gently to sandwich them together.
- Wearing gloves, take each assembled beso and carefully coat the outside with additional raspberry filling using your hands or a small spatula.
- Coat each beso by rolling in or sprinkling with flake coconut, ensuring the filling is evenly coated.








