Biscochitos I Recipes

BISCOCHITOS

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream the lard with sugar and anise seed on medium speed. In a separate bowl. beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs to creamed mixture. Mix together well, adding wine to form a stiff-like dough, add more wine, if necessary.
• Refrigerate dough overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand for a while, until dough is soft enough to roll. Divide dough in quarters and roll to about 1/16 to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until bottom of cookie is golden brown. Meanwhile, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Drop the baked cookies into sugar and cinnamon mixture and set aside to cool.

BIZCOCHITOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the shortening in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in 2/3 cup sugar, then the egg. Add 2 tablespoons wine and the anise seeds and beat until combined. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. If the dough is too dry, mix in up to 2 more tablespoons wine. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a shallow bowl. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Press the top of each cookie in the cinnamon sugar to coat, then arrange on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake until the edges are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool about 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

BISCOCHITOS TRADITIONAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the lard and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Mix in the anise seed, and beat until fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the sifted ingredients and brandy, and stir until well blended.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. The traditional is fleur-de-lis. Place cookies onto baking sheets. Mix together the 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the tops of the cookies.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms are lightly browned.

BISCOCHITOS

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix 1 cup sugar and the lard on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat to combine. Add vanilla, Grand Marnier, and zest; beat to combine.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar mixture on low speed. Beat in anise seeds. On medium, gradually add 2 tablespoons water or more to form a ball. Divide dough in half; shape into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic; chill 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Combine cinnamon and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into moons, stars, or shapes you like with a 2-inch cutter; lightly sift cinnamon-sugar over each shape. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, 10 to 12 minutes; cookies should be set but not brown. Transfer the cookies and parchment to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining batches.

BISCOCHITOS

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup sugar and the lard on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat to combine. Add vanilla, liqueur, and zest; beat to combine.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar mixture on low speed. Beat in anise seeds. On medium, gradually add the water and mix until dough forms a ball (add more water if necessary). Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in center. Combine cinnamon and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into shapes with a 4-inch fleur-de-lis cutter; lightly sift cinnamon-sugar over each shape. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Chill in freezer until dough is very firm, about 15 minutes. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through; cookies should be set but not brown. Transfer the cookies and parchment to a wire rack to cool. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

BISCOCHITOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift flour with baking powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl, cream lard with sugar and freshly ground anise seeds until fluffy. (This is a very important step! You want a lot of air incorporated into the lard because it helps make the cookies lighter.).
• Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Mix in flour mixture and white wine until well blended.
• Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
• Turn dough out on a floured surface and roll out desire thickness (I usually like it between 1/8-1/4 of an inch thick).
• Cut into shapes.
• Mix the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp of cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Dip tops of the cut out cookies in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges turn a golden color.
• Remove from oven and immediately dip cookies again in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Place cookies on cooling sheet and allow to cool completely. (If you try to eat them while they're still warm, they will taste like lard-- not fun!).
• Variation: You can also "paint" the cookies with a mixture of 1/2 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk and food coloring (red or green). With a paint brush, put a heavy coat on top of cut out cookies (for this variation, it's usually the shape of a chile/chili). Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then bake for 10-12 minutes.

BISCOCHITOS II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix together shortening, margarine and sugar with a mixture until well blended. Mix in the rest of the ingredients until smooth.
• Roll out on a floured board to 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 10 - 12 minutes. Garnish as desired or leave plain.

BISCOCHITOS

Steps:

• Cream lard and butter.
• Add sugar and beat until fluffy.
• Add eggs, anise seed, salt, baking powder and brandy, mix.
• Add flour gradually, til dough is firm, shape into a log and wrap in clear wrap.
• Chill, then slice in 3/4" slices.
• Mix cinnamon sugar, press uncooked cookie slice into mixture to coat one side and flatten slightly.
• Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

EASY BIZCOCHITOS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine cookie mix, flour, orange zest and aniseed. Stir in melted butter, egg and vanilla until blended., Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. cookie cutter., Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over cookies. Bake 6-9 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.