Biscochitos

Submitted by Quail Trails

"I love the whole anise seeds and the slightly buttery flavor of these "biscos", traditional Christmas cookies in my home state of New Mexico."

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 48 biscochitos

ingredients

• 6 cups flour (or enough to make dough easy to handle but not dry)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon whole anise seed
• 1 cup white lard
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1⁄4 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 5 5 teaspoons brandy flavoring or 5 teaspoons vanilla

• To top cookies

• 1⁄4 cup white sugar
• enough cinnamon, to darken

directions

1. Cream lard and butter.
2. Add sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Add eggs, anise seed, salt, baking powder and brandy, mix.
4. Add flour gradually, til dough is firm, shape into a log and wrap in clear wrap.
5. Chill, then slice in 3/4" slices.
6. Mix cinnamon sugar, press uncooked cookie slice into mixture to coat one side and flatten slightly.
7. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

Reviews

[Indico79]

These are the BEST cookies in the whole world. I'm glad to see you use lard and a sweet wine. That's the only way to make them!!! =o) My grandmother always made these every year for christmas and I'm so glad to finally find a recipe that's authentic!!! Thank you so much

 

[letsglow707]

Great recipe to follow. I just added my own twist. Gluten free and lard free with orange zest I made. And ground coarse anise in the mocajete. They came out soft dense with layers and puffed up beautifully

 

[Colorado Lauralee]

I found this recipe in The Salt Lake Tribune in 1993 and have made it alot since that time. It's a lovely cookie and seems especially appropriate during the Christmas Holiday Season.

 

[mianbao]

I like these cookies! The recipe was a little hard to follow, though. It would be nice if the ingredients were arranged in the order that they are used. The 1 tablespoon cinnamon listed with the cookie ingredients is not mentioned in the directions, and I decided not to put any in the dough, just use cinnamon in the topping. Whether this was correct or not I don't know. I made half of the recipe, and other than cinnamon, kept with the ingredients and the recipe's proportions. I used brandy, and think this was a good choice. I do not think that the same amount of brandy flavor or vanilla should be used as brandy, wine or water. It would be nice if a note to that effect could be inserted. The approximate diameter of the dough roll would be nice to know, too. I used slightly less than the full amount of flour, and the cookies spread rather more than I expected. But as I said, they are very tasty, and different. Thank you for the recipe.