A Mexican Christmas just ain’t the go without these spiced, melt-in-the-mouth cookies. Batch baking for festive fiestas, Tai’s grandma favored cutting the dough into traditional diamonds. If the kids were about though, she’d break out the cookie cutters so little hands could make their favorite shapes.
1 hr 15 mins total time
30 mins active time
Easy
Makes Approx. 120
Ingredients
Measurements:
12 oz lard
chopped, at room temperature
1 cup (7 oz) superfine sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
4 cups (21 oz) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 oz) superfine sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
1Place the lard and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed, with the paddle attachment until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and mix on low speed to combine. Gradually add the flour and mix on low speed to form a soft dough.
2Turn the dough out onto the countertop and bring together into a disk. Divide the dough into two portions. Shape one of the portions into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and set aside. Roll the remaining portion between 2 sheets of parchment paper to ¼-inch thick.
3Insert the wire racks into positions 6 and 3. Set the oven to Cookies, No Fan, 350°F, for 10 minutes, confirm Rotate Remind and press Start to preheat. Meanwhile, continue to the next step.
4Using assorted 1½-inch cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes. Place the biscochos on 2 sheet pans. Bring the leftover dough back together and re-roll to cut more shapes.
Tip: They don’t spread a lot during cooking, so you should be able to fit about 30 biscochos per sheet pan.
5Once preheated, place the biscochos in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. When the Rotate Remind signals, rotate and swap the pan and continue cooking.
6The biscochos should be pale and just beginning to color around the edges. If not, cook them a little longer.
7Remove the biscochos from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. When the biscochos have cooled slightly, working in batches, add them to the sugar mixture and toss gently to coat.
8Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough portion.
9Serve the biscochos or store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.