AI-generated image
New Mexico biscochitos
Anise cinnamon cookies
Anise and cinnamon sugar cookies, the state cookie
AmericanBiscochitos are New Mexico's official state cookie, baked by the thousand at Christmas, weddings and baptisms in Hispanic homes from Las Cruces to Taos. They are crumbly, short and scented with anise seed, cut into stars or fleurs-de-lis and dipped in cinnamon sugar. Grandmothers use lard, which gives the classic texture; this version uses butter so it stays vegetarian. Traditional recipes add a splash of brandy; here orange juice is used instead. Chef's tip: lightly crush the anise seeds to release the flavour.
- Total time
- 37 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 8 oz buttersoft
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 2 tsp anise seedslightly crushed
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 12 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 ⅞ oz sugarfor coating
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Beat the 8 oz butter, 5 ½ oz sugar and 2 tsp anise seeds for 3 minutes until fluffy, then beat in the 1 egg and 2 tbsp orange juice.
5 minStep 2: Mix in the 12 ½ oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt to a soft dough. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
32 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Mix the 2 ⅞ oz sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
2 minStep 4: Roll the dough 5 mm thick and cut out with small cutters. Press the top of each cookie into the cinnamon sugar and lay on lined trays.
10 minStep 5: Bake for 10–12 minutes until the bottoms are lightly golden but the tops still pale. A common mistake is baking until brown, which loses the tender, sandy bite. Cool on the trays.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 135 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does new Mexico biscochitos take?
- About 37 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Reform tortaWalnut meringue chocolate cake
Belgrade pastry shops have sold reform torta since the early twentieth century, and it is still the cake Serbian families bring out for birthdays, weddings and the slava. Three thin layers of walnut meringue, crisp at the edge and chewy inside, are stacked with a dense chocolate butter cream made with egg yolks cooked over steam until thick. It is very rich, so cut thin slices and serve with strong coffee. The usual slip is beating the butter into a chocolate mixture that is still warm, which melts it and splits the cream; let it cool to room temperature first. Chef's tip: assemble the cake the day before; overnight in the fridge the meringue softens a little and the cake slices cleanly with a hot knife.
CatalinasChewy panela anise cookies
Catalinas are the big dark cookies stacked in clear bags by the till of every Venezuelan bodega and panadería, eaten as a mid-afternoon snack with a glass of cold milk or a small black coffee. The dough is sweetened with melted panela and perfumed with anise, cinnamon and clove, and they stay soft and chewy for days. The mistake people make is baking until hard; they firm up as they cool. Chef's tip: take them out when they have puffed and the edges just feel set.
Venezuelan
Ma'amoulDate and walnut butter pastries
Ma'amoul are delicate shortbread-like pastries made for Eid and Easter across the Middle East. A soft, rose-scented butter dough is wrapped around a filling of dates, walnuts, almonds and pistachios cooked with cinnamon, marked with a fork, baked pale and dusted with icing sugar. Makes 35; they keep well in a tin.