New Mexico's Official State Cookie

Biscochitos are shortbread-like cookies spiced with anise and cinnamon

Biscochitos are a shortbread-like cookie flavored with anise and cinnamon rolled thin and cut out in various shapes. The recipe was developed in New Mexico over the years beginning with the first Spanish colonists and inspired by a mix of local cuisines. These crisp, flakey cookies are enjoyed at weddings, baptisms, quinceaneras and throughout the Christmas season.

I was introduced to them when my son was sent to intern at Los Alamos National Laboratory prior to him earning his PhD. We enjoyed snacking on them and learning about their story.

Official State Cookie of New Mexico

In 1989, the New Mexico state legislature declared the biscochito its official state cookie. New Mexico is one of only two states with a state cookie, alongside Massachusetts' chocolate-chip cookie.

After looking through many recipes, I’ve combined what I consider the best features and my recipe is included below. Many recipes have an additional, optional flavoring and my family enjoys the added brandy the best. Other flavorings you may want to try are whiskey, rum, sweet white wine or orange zest.

Traditional cookie cutter shapes used are the star and basic circle (representing the full moon). Weddings traditionally have diamond shaped cookies.

Lard is traditionally used and gives the best flavor and makes them super flakey. If you are a vegetarian the best substitution would be vegetable shortening. Lard can be found in the grocery store next to the vegetable shortening.

New Mexican Biscochitos

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound lard

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground anise seed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons brandy (optional)

1/2 cup sugar (for topping)

1 teaspoon cinnamon (for topping)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Wisk in anise seed. I used a mortar and pestle to grind up the anise seed as small as possible.

   

3. Beat lard and sugar in another bowl (I used a stand mixer) until fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Add vanilla and egg.

4. Stir the flour mixture into the lard mixture to form a dough similar to pie crust dough. Ball it up, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

   

5. Roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters and transfer the cut dough onto a greased cookies sheet (or use parchment paper).

6. Bake approximately 10 to 12 minutes until the edges just begin to brown. Do not over bake!

7. Combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon (I love cinnamon and I added more than a teaspoon) in a flat-bottomed bowl.

8. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Remove and cover in the cinnamon/sugar topping.

Our finished Biscochitos. We combined the traditional stars with our set of cookie cutters from Yellowstone.

Next Time

My son sent me an entertaining and informative video about some guy ranking the 50 state flags. As I was watching it, I realized that I didn’t know what the Utah state flag looked like. At the end of the video, it revealed that Utah got a new flag in March of this year. Below is the old flag. Read my next post to see the new.