Name: Bizcochitos
Yield: Makes about 5 dozen Cookies
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: ¼ cup brandy or sherry; 2 teaspoons cinnamon, mixed with ¾ cup sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 cup good-quality lard or organic vegetable shortening; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup sugar; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons anise seeds; 1 large egg

Preparation info

Makes about
5 dozen
Cookies

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes

By David Tanis

Published 2008

About

These anise-flavored sugar cookies, made with lard, are another traditional New Mexican specialty. Don’t be tempted to make them with butter—they won’t have their characteristic flakiness. Be forewarned: they are addictive.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup good-quality lard or organic vegetable shortening
1

Method

With an electric mixer, cream the sugar and lard well in a large bowl. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and brandy. Add the anise seeds. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the lard mixture and knead for a few minutes (by machine or by hand). Add a little water if necessary to make a soft dough.

Divide the dough in half. Roll the dough into logs