New Mexico Biscochitos

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Rolling pin
• •Fleur-de-lis cookie cutter or 2-3 inch cookie cutters
• •Parchment-lined baking sheets
• •Wire cooling racks

Instructions

1. 1

   Cream the lard and sugar

   In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the lard and 1 cup sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. The mixture should turn pale and increase noticeably in volume. Scrape down the sides twice during this process. This aeration creates the cookie's characteristic tender crumb.

   Room temperature lard is essential. If it's too cold, it won't cream properly. If it's too soft, your cookies will spread.
2. 2

   Add eggs and flavorings

   Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture may look slightly curdled—don't worry. Add the crushed anise seeds and brandy (or sherry or anisette), beating until incorporated. The kitchen will smell like a proper New Mexican holiday.

3. 3

   Mix the dry ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the lard mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed just until each addition is incorporated. The dough will be soft but not sticky. It should pull cleanly from the bowl sides.

   Resist the urge to overmix. Overworked dough produces tough cookies. Stop the mixer the moment you see no more dry flour.
4. 4

   Chill the dough

   Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Cold dough rolls cleanly and holds its shape during baking. Patience here prevents frustration later.

5. 5

   Prepare coating and preheat

   Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a shallow bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.

6. 6

   Roll and cut the cookies

   Working with one disk at a time (keep the other refrigerated), roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Traditional biscochitos are cut with a fleur-de-lis cutter, but any 2 to 3-inch shape works beautifully. Gather scraps gently, reroll once, and cut again. Beyond that second roll, the dough toughens.

   If the dough softens and becomes sticky while rolling, slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
7. 7

   Coat with cinnamon sugar

   Press each cut cookie into the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating both sides completely. The sugar should cling in a generous layer. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. These don't spread much, so you can fit them closer than most cookies.

8. 8

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans front to back and switching racks halfway through. The cookies are done when the bottoms turn golden and the tops look set but still pale. They'll feel soft when hot but will crisp as they cool. Remove from oven when you see the faintest golden edge—they continue cooking on the hot pan.

9. 9

   Cool completely

   Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. The texture transforms as they cool—from soft and tender to delicately crisp with that signature shatter. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep beautifully for two weeks, though they rarely last that long.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out leaf lard from a butcher or specialty grocer. It's rendered from the fat around the kidneys and has almost no pork flavor. Grocery store lard often contains hydrogenated fats and additives that compromise both texture and taste. If you absolutely cannot find leaf lard, use high-quality unsalted butter—the cookies will be delicious, just not quite authentic.
• •Crushing the anise seeds releases their essential oils. Use a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy pan. You want them cracked, not powdered. The seeds should remain visible in the finished cookie.
• •The brandy isn't optional flavor—the alcohol helps create a tender crumb by inhibiting gluten development. Sweet sherry (cream sherry or Oloroso) adds complexity. Anisette liqueur doubles down on the anise flavor for true devotees.
• •Biscochitos freeze exceptionally well, both as dough and baked. Freeze rolled dough disks for up to 3 months—thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling. Baked cookies freeze in airtight containers for 2 months. They thaw in 15 minutes at room temperature.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months.
• •Baked cookies store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks.
• •For holiday gifting, bake cookies 1 week ahead—their flavor actually improves after a day or two as the anise mellows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 cookie (about 19g)