Uncle Frank's Biscochos

Biscochos are our family's traditional cookie, however when it comes to making them, everyone has their own technique. If you enjoy dunking a crispy cookie into a hot cup of tea, then Uncle Frank's delicious bizcocho is the one that you will want to make. 

Ingredients:

1 lb lard (= 2 cups)

1/2 lb butter (= 1 cup)

6 cups sugar plus ½-1 cup more for dusting

6 large eggs

1 -1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or 2 to taste)

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1-1/4 tablespoons vanilla

1-1/2 to 3 bags of anise seed

1/2 to 1 bottle anise extract

1/4 cup or more of anise liquor such as pernod

9 cups of flour

6 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Cream the fats and the sugar together until light and fluffy.  Then add the eggs and continue to beat until the sugar is almost dissolved. You will feel that the grittiness of the sugar is less when you rub the mixture between two of your fingers. This will take a good 15-20 minutes at top speed
2. Crush the anise seeds in your hands or with a rolling pin. 
3. Add the liquor, anise extract, vanilla and anise seed to the fat mixture and beat until incorporated.
4.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
5.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and knead it until it is shiny.
6. Allow it to sit in the fridge for several days
7.  Roll out the dough to a ½ inch thickness and use cookie cutters to cut out the cookies in whatever shapes you want
8. Mix together the cinnamon and ½-1 cup of sugar and place on a plate. Dip the cut out cookie dough into the cinnamon and sugar before baking.
9. Bake the cookies on greased cookie sheets at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10- 12 minutes.

Note: For true Uncle Frank Biscochos, he insists that you must grind the anise seeds between your palms or roll them with a rolling pin to release the flavor before adding them into the fat mixture. I throw them into the mixer and beat them for a quite a long time whenever I make it. I find that it does the same thing and is much less work. 

Also, some family members tend to put less anise seed extract and fewer seeds into the dough because the flavor can be pretty intense. 

As with all recipes, you should make the recipe and then make whatever changes you see fit for it to work for your family.