Bizcochos Recipes

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:

• 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.

NEW MEXICO BISCOCHOS

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in large bowl, set aside.
• In mixer bowl beat the lard and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolks, cinnamon, anise extract and juice/wine. Mix till incorporated.
• Add flour mixture to lard mixture and mix well.
• Roll dough out onto floured counter top to 1/2" thickness. I work half the dough half at a time, rolling into a large square. Cutting into strips about 1 inch wide, then cut those strips into 2" cookies. (A ruler works great!).
• Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400°F for about 8-10 minutes.
• While cookies are warm roll them in cinnamon sugar.

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.

LEMON BIZCOCHITOS

Steps:

• Sift flour and baking powder into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs, lemon juice, aniseed and peel; beat to blend. Stir in dry ingredients. Gathering dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Mix in cinnamon and 1 tablespoon sugar in small bowl. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over. Transfer cookies to sheets. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to racks; cool. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight.)

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.

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.

BIZCOCHOS (MEXICAN HOLIDAY COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat the lard until creamy.
• Mix the wine or fruit juice with 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and anise seeds; add to lard and mix with a wooden spoon.
• Add the egg yolks; mixing well.
• Add enough flour to make soft dough; roll out to 1/2-inch thick and cut in desired shapes and place on greased cookie sheet.
• Bake 15 minutes; checking often to prevent burning.
• Mix the remaining 1 cup of sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon; dredge cookies in the cinnamon sugar mixture while still warm.