From Spain to Santa Fe: A Bite-Sized History of the Biscochito

Biscochitos, or bizcochitos depending on who you ask, are a well known and beloved cookie here in New Mexico… So much so that they were made the official state cookie in 1989 (the first state cookie is the U.S…. even though it’s only one of two declared – I see your chocolate chip cookie, Massachusetts, and raise you our biscochito)! For those of you who are unfamiliar with biscochitos, imagine a flakier snickerdoodle (thanks to the lard, used as shortening) with tiny licorice flavored seeds perfuming the experience. Like many things in the state, there was a fair amount of Spanish influence in our fascination with the cookies’ spicy and crumbly bite, thanks to the inclusion of lard, cinnamon, and the star of the show, anise (pun intended). 

When the Spanish arrived in New Mexico in the 16th century, they brought with them their recipes and foodways. One of these recipes would have been for something called mantecados (the particular evolution of this cookie seems to have skipped over Mexico), a sort of biscuit-shaped shortbread cookie synonymous with Christmas for many Early Modern Spaniards – biscochitos are still consumed around major holidays today, but especially around the holiday season. Of course, as with many recipes and ways of life, adaptations had to be made to what was available in the New World. Traditionally, mantecados were made with sesame seeds, and while anise is not native to the States, it was introduced to the country by the Spanish missionaries (they probably traveled with anise instead of sesame seeds due to its use in alcoholic beverages).

But we’re not here to discuss the history of the Spanish cookie! As any good historian knows, immaterial history is just as important as the tangible variety, and the development of biscochitos is a beautiful example of this! As many grandmothers are capable of doing, the abuelas of New Mexico’s past memorized and passed down their versions of recipes, often adding whiskey or brandy, swearing by specific lard and shortening combinations (if vegetable shortening or butter was used at all), each abuela having their own ratios of spices, adding blue corn meal in with the flour, and even changing the shape of the cookies.

Biscochitos becoming the official state cookie in 1989 further highlights its importance to the history of the state as food and foodways are often the way that culture is shared and changed. I thoroughly believe that you cannot experience authenticity in cuisine without the presence of history and culture in the way foods are made and enjoyed. 

The recipe I’ll share was taught to my husband by his seventh grade teacher, and remains our favorite go-to biscochitos!

You’ll need:

6 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 cups lard

2 teaspoons anise seed (we like to add a bit more, so adjust to your preference!)

2 eggs

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup brandy or whiskey (substitute orange juice if you like)

¼ cup cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix sugar, lard, anise, and eggs well together
3. Separately mix flour, baking powder, and salt
4. Gradually mix flour mixture with lard mixture, then slowly add liquid
5. Knead into a ball
6. Lightly flour counter and rolling pin and roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thick (we prefer them this width, but feel free to roll them as thick or thin as you like – but be prepared to adjust cooking times)
7. Cut out desired shapes, and dip one side into cinnamon sugar (traditional shapes include twelve-point stars, fleur de lis, rolled shaped (think takis), or plain circles)
   1. Personally, I like more cinnamon sugar, so we coat the whole cookie
8. Place on prepared cookie sheet cinnamon side up and bake ten minutes, then cool for an additional ten (if you try to move them while they’re hot, they might crumble apart!).

Bueno Bye,

Mountain Girl

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