Biscochitos

Crispy cinnamon sugar-topped Biscochitos are festive cookies with a shortbread-like texture. Ready for gifting, snacking, or dipping in coffee all holiday season long!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 14

Chill Time 30

Total Time 1 4

Servings cookies (6 dozen)

Calories 63kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Large cookie sheets
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Electric hand or stand mixer
Wire cooling racks

Ingredients

For the Dough:

6 cups all-purpose flour (720g)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons anise seed toasted
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups lard (450g/1 pound)
1½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
2 large eggs
½ cup brandy (120mL)

For the Topping:

¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

For the Dough:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, anise seed, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the lard and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add in the flour mixture until just combined. Pour in the brandy and mix until a dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and divide into 4 pieces. Shape the dough into discs, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. (If chilling overnight, let the dough stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or until slightly softened before rolling.)
On a floured surface, roll one disc at a time into ¼- to ½-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter dipping in flour, cut out cookies and place about a 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Reroll scraps as needed. (Note you will be reusing the same prepared sheets multiple times.)

For the Topping:

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cut cookies with cinnamon-sugar mixture, about ¼ teaspoon per cookie.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Notes

Toast the anise seed before using. Toasting the anise will enhance the flavor, and the process is similar to toasting nuts on the stovetop. Heat a small dry pan on low heat, add the anise seed, and stir a few times until the seeds become fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before using.
Mix the dry ingredients in slowly. Gradually add the flour mixture into the mixer while the stand mixer is running at a slow speed. This will help the dough come together smoothly without a cloud of flour billowing out.
Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes if refrigerated overnight. If chilling the dough overnight, let it stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or until slightly softened before rolling. The dough will be too firm to roll if it does not have time to warm slightly.
Reroll dough scraps and reuse the cookie sheet. Anytime you use a cookie cutter to make cookies, you’ll have dough scraps after cutting each batch. Press the scraps together with your hands, reroll, and cut additional cookies. You can reroll the dough while the first batch is baking and reuse the same ungreased cookie sheets with parchment.
Dip the cutter in flour to prevent sticking. Prepare a small bowl of flour near your work area and dip the cookie cutter in the flour as needed to prevent sticking. You can also switch up the shape of the cookie cutter to make stars, diamonds, or other festive cutouts.

Nutrition