Biscochitos
User Reviews
5
Biscochitos
Description
Biscochitos combine flour, baking powder, and salt with fragrant anise seeds and fresh orange zest to give a distinctive flavor. Lard or shortening creamed with sugar forms the base of the dough, providing tenderness and richness. Egg, red wine, and vanilla extract are added for moisture and flavor complexity. After chilling the dough, it is rolled about a quarter-inch thick, cut with fluted or star-shaped cutters, and coated with a cinnamon sugar mixture that bakes into a crisp, sweet crust.
Baking at 350°F, the cookies emerge with a flaky, crumbly texture with aromatic hints of anise and citrus. The cinnamon sugar topping adds a warm sweetness and slight crunch on the outside that contrasts the tender inside. Biscochitos are ideal for serving with coffee or tea as a festive dessert or snack.
These cookies can be prepared ahead of time by making the dough a day in advance and refrigerating it until rolling. Maintaining a floured surface and rolling pin helps prevent sticking during shaping. Depending on oven size, baking in batches may be necessary, keeping unbaked dough chilled until ready.
Shortening can substitute for traditional lard to achieve similar texture.Fluted or star cookie cutters are traditional shapes, but any shape can be used.Use a well-floured surface and rolling pin to avoid sticking and ease transferring shapes.Prepare dough up to a day ahead, wrapped and refrigerated, before rolling and baking.Bake in batches if your oven cannot hold all cookies at once; keep unused dough chilled.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt fine
- 3 teaspoons anise seed
- orange zest of one navel orange
- 1 ½ cups lard or shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons red wine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in anise seeds and orange zest. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg, wine, and vanilla extract and mix on low until just combined.
- Gradually add in the flour mixture 1 cup at a time, until all the flour mixture is used. The mixture will be slightly crumbly.
- On a lightly floured surface, combine the dough by hand and form a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- While the dough is chilling, prepare the cinnamon sugar topping by mixing the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350℉. Roll out the dough until it's ¼-inch thick on a well-floured surface using a floured rolling pin. Using a 2 ½ inch fluted circle cookie cutter or star cookie cutter, stamp out the dough and transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Combine the scraps to create an additional dough ball, and continue rolling and stamping out the cookies until all the dough is used. While rolling and cutting leftover dough, flour your surface and rolling pin as needed. This will yield about 3 dozen biscochitos.
- Bake for 12-16 minutes, until the edges are golden. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies are cool to the touch, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Notes
- Shortening can replace lard with similar results, though butter alters flavor and texture slightly.
- Traditional biscochitos shapes are fluted circles or stars, but you may use any cookie cutter shape you prefer.
- Keep rolling surfaces and pin well-floured to prevent dough from sticking and to transfer cookies easily.
- This dough can be made a day in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to roll and bake.
- Bake in multiple batches if needed; store remaining dough in fridge until baking time.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 36cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 139 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cookie | |
| Calories | 139kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 5mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 53mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 17mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 8IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0.04mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 15mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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