These simple unfrosted yet delicious cookies are hugely popular in New Mexico where they are the official state cookie. They are flavored with orange and anise seed and coated with cinnamon and sugar.
On the Ingredients:
- Lard is a pork fat product that was far more common for baking. Many people still love to use it in place of butter. The main difference is that butter is a dairy product and will separate into oil and milk solids while baking, which is why cookies made with butter stretch and spread while baking. Lard stays the same and makes for a softer cookie. Does it taste like pork? No. Lard has little to no flavor. Compared with butter, lard has a tiny bit more calories (115 per tbsp vs. 102) and a slightly high smoke point (370° F vs. 350° F). The most interesting thing is that 1 tbsp of pastured lard has 1,000 IU of vitamin D, making it one of the best sources of vitamin D out there. This fact must have been really helpful to Northern Europeans in the depth of winter back in the day. (Read more about lard).
- Anise seed is an aromatic and flavorful spice indigenous to the Mediterranean and South Asia. It is used worldwide to flavor many sweet foods, including black jelly beans, Australian humbugs, Italian pizzelle, German Pfeffernüsse and Springerle, and Mexican champurrado (a hot chocolate-type drink). Anise seed is also used in the brewing of many traditional liquors. In ancient Rome, anise was used to flavor special mustaceoe cakes. They were served after large banquets to aid in digestion. Some believe this may be the origin of wedding cake. Anise is a scent that dogs find very appealing. It’s sometimes thought of as the “dog’s catnip.”
Recipe Notes and Substitutions:
Butter can be used instead of lard.
Biscochito Cookies
Prep time
10
minutesCooking time
12
minutesResting time
30
minutesTotal time
52
minutesThese simple unfrosted yet delicious cookies are hugely popular in New Mexico where they are the official state cookie. They are flavored with orange and anise seed and coated with cinnamon and sugar. You can make them with butter if you prefer.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp crushed anise seeds
zest of an orange
1 1/4 cup lard
3/4 cup sugar OR monk fruit sweetener
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon
Directions
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, anise, and orange zest. In a separate bowl, beat the lard and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually beat in the flour mixture just until combined. It will be crumbly, more like pie dough than cookie dough. Use your hands to make the dough into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Divide the dough into three balls. Knead and work one ball until soft and smooth. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4." Use cookie cutters to create your favorite shapes, and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining two balls of dough.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the pan. Remove carefully and let them cool fully on a wire rack. Enjoy!
