Biscochitos
Posted by Colin Kohler on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009Tags for this Article: cookies, dessert, holidays, recipe
When I first tasted biscochitos my taste buds did a stadium wave, my eyes rolled back to get a better look at the pleasure center of my brain, and I was transformed into Cookie Monster for two straight weeks. I’m not messing around; these things are bananas. The light and crisp texture has a surprise party with the full, round flavor of anise seed.
The tattered recipe in my mother-in-law’s cook book read “New Mexico’s traditional cookie for all special occasions and in between”. We were visiting Santa Fe for the Holidays in an off-the-grid pueblo house in the middle of the desert. Not much to do out there but cook and read, and I had long finished the book I brought. I ate these things until I was blue in the face, and borderline diabetic.
I hope this rich and spicy cut-out cookie knocks you out the way it did to me.
Enjoy!
Biscochitos
Cream together
1 cup butter
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. anise seed (crushed)
until fluffy.
Add 2 well beaten eggs
Mix in
4 ½ cups flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Alternately with
¼ cup brandy or apple cider
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix till well blended. Chill overnight.
Roll until ½ cm thick and cut with cookie cutters.
Dip each cookie in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Place on parchment paper and bake 350° for 10 minutes or till brown edged.
Posted on April 5th, 2010
Shari says:
Just wanted to say that I’ve been making these cookies all my life. They were handed down through my family for several generations. They are without a doubt, a wonderful cookie. My receipe varies slightly from yours, but are still fantastic!
Posted on July 10th, 2011
Heidi says:
I wish I could say that I had a good experience with these cookies, but far from it. The dough would not hold together to roll out despite an overnight chill. When I did roll and cut them, they completely fell apart when I tried to take them off the cookie sheet. I would not recommend this recipe.
Posted on July 11th, 2011
Colin says:
Sorry to hear the Biscochitos didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. I’d be happy to to help troubleshoot the recipe with you.
This recipe has been handed down from many a grandmother, and with any recipe of that nature, one must sometimes deviate from the exact recipe and use one’s best judgement if things begin to get crumbly.
Posted on November 26th, 2012
maja says:
There s no such thing as ‘shortening’ in my country. Can I substitute it with butter?