Biscochitos – New Mexico’s State Cookie

TOPPING:
– 4 parts sugar
– 1 part cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Sift flour with baking powder and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream lard with sugar and anise seeds until fluffy.

3. Beat in egg until incorporated.

4. On low speed, add milk and flour mixture to lard mixture until incorporated.

5. Turn dough out on lightly floured board, knead gently to form a ball, then press to 1/4 inch thickness.

6. Cut into shapes OR roll into balls (~1 inch in size).*
7. Toss shapes in cinnamon and sugar topping.**

8. On greased baking sheets, bake for 13 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Yield: about 50 small cookies.

*If you roll them into balls, be sure to press them down slightly with a fork after positioning them onto baking sheets.

**The easiest way to do this is to put several balls/shapes and the cinnamon and sugar into a small Tupperware container. Put the lid on and shake gently.

NOTES: The biscochito is the state cookie of New Mexico for a good reason – it’s simply delicious! They are easy and fun to make, especially at Christmas time, and they store well in a tin or cookie jar for at least 2 weeks (they’ve never lasted longer than that at my house!).

The lard is a key ingredient, important in the texture and flavor of the final cookie, so please do not replace it with another type of fat!