How to Make New Mexico Biscochito Cookies
Biscochitos are cinnamon-and-anise-flavored shortbread cookies that have rightly earned the title of New Mexico’s state cookie.
Get our Biscochitos recipe:
Buy our winning whisk:
Buy our winning 7 Quart Stand Mixer:
Buy our winning chefs knife:
Buy our winning chefs knife in the ATK Shop:
Buy our winning baking sheet:
Buy our winning wire rack:
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
I Luv the rich tradition of these cookies!! But Anise isn't my favorite spice!!
I am from New Mexico and I am so delighted you showcased our state cookie. Great job!!
It is the best cookie ever! My mother would bake them only at Christmas time so my sisters and brothers and I looked forward to this time of the year!
Our mother passed last Christmas, but we still have her hand written recipe for biscochitos .
Native New Mexican just throwing my 2 cents in.. If you go to Home Depot, Lowes, or Walmart they have paint sticks in the paint department. Just ask the paint person if you can have a couple they will gladly offer two for free. If you place the sticks on the counter flat and keep the dough in between the sticks using a rolling pin you can achive your 1/4" thickness. If the sticks are not 1/4" thick then glue two together (you will need 4 sticks if you do this). Then cut them out with a cookie cutter or top end of a Collins glass. Splash of brandy also gives a nice touch. Love your videos!
I live in New Mexico luv all my New Mexico foods 😊❤
our family came to the u. s. states in the 1920’s from the state of durango. these were my favorite little cookies sent to us from mexico. they were called “semitas” and were made with butter and lard. our family were dairy farmers who immigrated from the mountains of france and spain.
Biscochitto cookies with no orange juice?
“Bis-que-cheetos!“ 😂
I saw Jesse Pinkman’s mom make these.
I live in NM, trust me: never, ever say to the locals that you make bizcos with anything other than lard. Them’s fighting words. They’ll find a place in the desert to leave you😜
It's a little heavy…she meant the dough I assume. 😅
Thanks for this great recipe. I have been making Biscochitos since I was about 5 years old with my mothers help. We rolled and cut out as per my mothers recipe. I love this recipe because cut-out cookies are time-consuming. Thank you. I live in Santa Fe NM.😊
That’s a chalupa not Gordita! 😮
These cookies are the worst of all cookies lol
Traditional recipe would use brandy as well. My grandma always used brandy. Some people replace with orange juice.
I’ve never heard of these before, but I used to love the anise flavored Salerno Christmas cookies as a child. They don’t taste the same now, but I can make these instead. Oh boy!
There's a reason it's our state cookie! Anise seed is always aust, no extract lol. Also, the best ones are the little bit of burned ones! ❤️
Born and raised making these!! It’s a tradition, a must! And yes, lard is the only way. Obey tradition and trust me, I’ve tried different fats over the years much to my grandmas (from Santa fe/san Ildefonso pueblo) DISAPPROVAL, 😝 She was right all along, NEVER substitute, no need bc lard makes a huge difference. Must be lard! Also, when rolling out dough, sprinkle some anise seeds on top just right before cookie cutting. Looks pretty and it’s extra delicious. Ive tried rolling logs before it’s might be easier but it changes the texture entirely. Don’t do it!! Biscochitos taste best by gently rolling out sections of dough, and my grandma always said the less you handle it, the easier to work with, I’ll take as much as I need to roll and if I notice it getting too soft, I’ll plastic wrap, place in freezer in between rolling, it helps. Whilst rolling dough, lightly sprinkle flour if needed so dough won’t stick but barely. Finally, another important tip: cutting then dipping each cut out cookie in cinna-sugar mixture BEFORE baking, is heaven! Baking that beautiful simple mixture in WITH and on top of each cookie is pure magic!!! Please try it. Also forgot to mention that by rolling dough and cutting with cookie cutters the cookies come out melt in your mouth and gently flakier! Trust me as I’ve been making them all my life. 💕
I’m from NM, and the recipe we use includes brandy (or orange juice).
Have made dozens of batches of these cookies over the years. There's certain steps you cannot skimp over.
1. Whip the lard light super well before you add the sugar.
2. When you add the sugar you need to whip it unti it's super light and fluffy. (This gets a jump on the breakdown of the sugar into the fat and makes the incorporation of the flour so much nicer and the less you handle the dough the better.)
3. Adding brandy, wine, or juice is a critical step. Much like pie crust, you need a little bit of moisture even though you want that moisture to evaporate. The egg is not enough and the alcohol dissipates quickly to elevate the dough's crisp texture when baked. (When in doubt use real vanilla extract)
4. These are so much better if you let them rest in the fridge overnight before baking.
I always cut mine into shapes like sugar cookies taking only a batch at a time from the fridge to prep and bake.
These are super yummy when you cut them a little bit thicker and won't break easily.
Cookies and dough also freeze well so make a double batch!
ATK, you can do better. If you're going to give volume measures AND weight, at least use grams for the weight. Anyone with a scale (even Americans) have the capacity to change the unit measurement to grams.
Oh geez, I've got to make these! They'd be perfect with champagne!
Or biscochos
My late, beloved Mexican abuela and I used to sing a family song when we would make these:
Yo no soy y ni voy a ser tu bizcochito
Pero tengo to' lo que tiene delito
Reminds me of my childhood🥰🥰🥰🥰
Is there a recommendation for a substitute for lard?
In Albuquerque, Garcia’s Kitchen sells their delicious biscochitos year round. They use oil, not lard, and the texture is what is described in the video. Would love to try those in the video 🙂
I am also a New Mexican. This last Christmas time, when you see Bizcochos for sale, they were over $12 for a 12oz box. So I made some and this recipe works great. All kinds of variations but rolling them in a cinnamon/sugar mix when they come out of the oven reminds me of our childhood. Generally we make them smaller than these and like someone commented, into a diamond shape with crimped edges.
Commercial / hydrogenated lard doesn’t really have a flavor. And being a hydrogenated saturated fat, contains trans fat and is definitely not so great for you. Pretty different from traditional unprocessed lard / manteca which has a porky flavor and is much more liquid at room temp. But hey, they’re cookies not broccoli.
As soon as you said Anise, I'm out!
Team ANN-niss ✊
I use my Mom's recipe but it doesn't contain anise, baking powder or an egg. It only uses lard, flour, sugar and cinnamon. No refrigerator, and patted out and cut in diamond shape.
I lived in Santa Fe for over twenty years and a great many no longer use lard for health purposes, fyi. Also, with plastic bags choking our ecosystem, wouldn’t it be better to use a mortar and pestle?
To keep dough log round in refrigerator…use an empty paper towel roll, slide plastic wrap dough log in it, refrigerate. Or also can slit empty paper towel down middle long way and slide plastic wrapped dough log in it. Either way it keeps the log rounded.
In Southern NM they are called Biscochos. Traditionally they are cut with a knife in "diamond" shapes (on a diagonal).
This recipe it's also know as "mantecadito" or "mantecao" in some regions of Cuba. 😋
These with coffee on a cold winter morning. So good!
Love these cookies, I've been eating these since I was a little girl my grandma makes them every Christmas
What is lard? Is it beef fat? Pork fat? Or what…?
Oh, I had no idea where these delicious cookies originated from. My Mom used to make these, I wonder if she got the recipe from a local city's cookbook that came out every year.
Morning Greetings from California ATK
We always add a splash of apple brandy or triple sec with the wet ingredients, which adds another nice flavor component.
What brand of large is suggested for this recipe?
For those who do not like anise flavor, what do you recommend as an alternative?
As a New Mexican whose made these with family before, I approve. Love them so much and they remind me of Christmas.
Another way of shaping, make squares and crimp one edge together almost like a potsticker. It’s a very traditional way of making them and my grandma makes them that way.
I've been making these as a New Mexican all my life. My mother's recipe from the old Public Service Company of New Mexico cookbook. We always rolled out the dough and cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter.