Queen Bee Bischochitos
Traditional Biscochitos are made with real lard. These days many healthy brands are available.
This dough must be refrigerated for 3 to 8 hours.
* Tapioca starch for dusting pastry board.
Half Recipe Full Recipe
(½) 1 cup lard or shortening (lard is traditional, and this does make a difference)
(⅓) ⅔ cup organic sugar (see below for low glycemic version)
(½) 1 egg, beaten
(1 ½ Tb) 2 to 4 Tb brandy or sherry (Sambuaca might be fun to try)
(1/8 tsp) ¼ tsp lemon flavoring
(¾ tsp) 1½ tsp lightly crushed anise seeds
(1 ½ C + 2 Tb) 3 ¼ cups Queen Bee Cakes, Cookies, Muffins Flour
(¼ tsp ) ½ tsp baking powder (optional, depending on the texture you desire)
(½ tsp) 1 tsp salt
For dipping: ¼ cup organic sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon & 1/16 tsp fresh cardamon
•Whisk together Queen Bee CCM flour, salt and baking powder.
•Add lemon flavoring to beaten egg.
•Beat lard/shortening with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
•Slowly beat in sugar for one minute, then the egg mixture.
•Beat in brandy & the anise seed until well combined and mixture becomes creamy.
•Gently stir in dry ingredients, adding more brandy as needed to form a soft dough OR more flour blend if too soft.
•Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Divide dough into four portions. Keep dough refrigerated while rolling out one portion at a time.
Dough can become sticky as it warms up. Simply return to frig.
Sprinkle tapioca starch on parchment paper & then a little on top of the dough. Place a piece of parchment on top & roll out dough to ⅛ to ¼ inch thickness. Remove top parchment & then flip dough. This makes it easier to lift cookies after you've cut them with desired cookie cutter. If necessary, slip thin knife or spatula under cookie to lift. Dip top ONLY into sugar/cinnamon/cardamon mixture and place on ungreased, parchment lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on size, just until the edges turn a pale blond.
Let cool a few minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining portions of dough.