Mexican Holiday Biscochitos

Light and deliciously buttery, Mexican Holiday Biscochitos combine the complex flavour of crushed anise seeds with that of warming ground cinnamon. With a hint of vanilla and citrus, these cookies pack a delightfully scrumptious bite!

📝 Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons anise seeds, (crushed)
• 1 large orange, (zested)
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening, (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Measure the flour, baking powder, salt, anise, and orange zest into a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. 2In a mixing bowl, beat together the vegetable shortening and sugar. Beat for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. 3Next, beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
4. 4Add the flour mixture in thirds, beating to combine after each addition. The dough should be a little moist.
5. 5Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. 6Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
7. 7Combine the topping by combining the sugar and ground cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
8. 8Roll slightly heaping tablespoons of the cookie dough into balls and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving two inches of space between each ball.
9. 9Use a fork to flatten the balls to half their height. If the dough is sticky, dip the tines of the fork into powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
10. 10Bake the cookies for 13 minutes or until the outer edges are just lightly browned.
11. 11Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle the top of each cookie with some of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.