I saw this great image up on Facebook this week and had to laugh! There in front of me were my fondest memories of  Christmas in New Mexico…..amazing  foods and deep traditions!  As a New Mexican, I innately  have a love for home made tamales, green chile stew and posole. I make a mean posole and also have  a deep affection for homemade biscochitos!  Because so many of my friends families cooked delicious food over the holiday I would often frequent their homes and indulge on all the tamales and red chile that I didn’t get in my own home growing up.

NM is a special place to be during the holidays and I thought it would be nice to  share some of my favorite New Mexican inspired recipes   in the coming week.

Growing up, my adopted  mom, Jo, and her daughters would spend weeks before the holidays baking every kind of cookie imaginable!  I still remember baking with them during those years. My favorite cookie of all became biscochitos made with love from her grandma’s recipe. She still makes the best biscochitos I have ever tasted. They make my every Christmas wish come true.

Biscochitos are delicious anise and cinnamon flavored tea cookies that are light and airy, so delicate they melt in your mouth! The key is using lard to get that light texture.  I know some folks may turn up their nose or want to make a “healthy” alternative, but it turns out lard  makes a big difference in the texture of many of the best baked goods and isn’t really all that unhealthy!

Here is a great traditional recipe you may want to try at home from:

Biscochitos Recipe

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs. cinnamon

Instructions

1. Beat lard in a mixer until very creamy.
2. Add sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Add other ingredients (except for cinnamon sugar mixture).
4. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.
5. Cut with a 2″ to 3″ cookie cutter.
6. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
7. Let Cool then dip in a cinnamon sugar mixture.