Biscochitos

Biscochitos are the state cookie of New Mexico. Traditional in December, these are a kind of anise and cinnamon short-bread-ish cookie. Originally from New Mexico Magazine

Ingredients

Cookies

• 5-6 C all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1½ Tbs ground anise seeds
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ C orange juice, fresh or from concentrate
• 1 lbs lard at room temperature
• 2 Tbs whiskey
• 1 C granulated sugar

Toppings

• ¼ C granulated sugar
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon

Steps

1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Sift together 5 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat lard in electric mixer, gradually adding sugar until extremely light and fluffy; about 8 minutes. Stop mixer every couple of minutes to scrape down sides of mixing bowl. Add eggs singly, beating in each one before adding the next. Mix in dry ingredients, beating only until incorporated. Add anise seeds, orange juice, and whiskey. A stiff, pie-crust-like dough is what you're after. Add some or all of remaining flour, as needed, to get proper consistency.
2. Spoon dough into cookie press, if you wish. Push out dough into shaped cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. If you don't have a cookie press, or prefer to make them with cookie cutters, the dough can be rolled out 1/4 inch thick on floured work surface and cut into favorite shapes, then arranged on cookie sheets. In either case, avoid handling the dough more than necessary.
3. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. While cookies bake, stir together topping ingredients.
4. Transfer cookies to baking racks to cool. Once they have cooled, gently roll cookies in topping mixture. If not eaten sooner, cookies will keep a week.