Biscochitos
Cookies & Bars
| Biscochitos are
the official "state cookie" of New Mexico. Since we just recently moved
to New Mexico, I had to try making them and found a couple of recipes
that I combined and adapted. These are especially nice around the
holidays. |
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1 Tablespoon
whole anise seed ½ cup sugar 6 cups flour 2 cups pure lard |
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Soak anise seeds in brandy for 3-4 hours. Strain anise seeds and set both aside. Combine the cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside to sprinkle on cookies before baking (put mixture into an empty spice jar with holes in the top to make sprinkling easier and more even). Combine flour with baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Mix lard and 1 cup sugar together in large bowl until creamy and smooth. Add eggs and anise seeds; blend together until mixture is very fluffy. Add dry ingredients to lard/sugar mixture, adding enough of the reserved brandy to hold the mixture together (you may need to add more brandy or a little water). Roll out on lightly floured board about 3/8-inch thick (thicker than normal sugar cookies). Use biscuit cutter to cut cookies out; I prefer a smaller size round cutter, but you could use whatever shapes you prefer. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with combined remaining ½ cup sugar and cinnamon. You can place these cookies fairly close together as they will not spread while baking. Bake at 400°
for 10-12 minutes (depending on thickness of cookie, you may need more
or less time, so it’s best to bake a test cookie). Cookies should be
light golden in color. Cool on rack.
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