I found the recipe card for my Aunt Janie’s Bizcochitos. I thought it had been lost. I’m very happy to have found it again. Bizcochitos are a traditional Christmas cookie in New Mexico. Bizcochitos seem to be entirely New Mexican. They are virtually unknown outside the State, except where the sons and daughters of New Mexico have carried their beloved cookie with them. It’s a shortbread cookie with anise seed. The recipe on the card attached below makes the Bizcochitos I remember from my childhood. Use the lard and the apricot brandy though.
I remember my Aunt Janie telling me that the recipe includes allusions to two miracles that are near to the hearts of New Mexicans, the Virgin of Guadalupe and Bishop Lamy’s apricot trees.
The story of the Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego at Tepeyac, outside Mexico City, is well known. Juan Diego was recently named a Saint by the Catholic Church. Mary’s gift to Juan Diego, to help verify her appearance, was roses. Icons of the Virgin of Guadalupe usually include roses, for this reason. On the recipe card Aunt Janie describes cutting the rolled dough into squares, then pinching the corners, to form a simple rose shape, “The Rose of Guadalupe.”
The story of Bishop Lamy’s apricot trees is less well known. As Bishop Lamy was nearing retirement he began to search the area around Santa Fe for a place where he could build a small home and Chapel, in which he could live out his remaining life saying his daily office. One day he decided to ride his mule over the hill between Santa Fe and Tesuque (North). As he descended toward Tesuque he came across a small farm. The lady of the house greeted him and asked him if he would like to rest and something to drink. He accepted. As he sat there he noted apricot trees growing in the sun warmed area near the house. Santa Fe is supposed to be too far North and too high for an apricot tree to survive. But, there they were. Bishop Lamy took it as a sign and bought the farm as his retreat. He died in the Chapel that he built there on February 13th, 1888. The apricots are still growing at the Chapel on the grounds of what is now a resort called “Bishop’s Lodge.” Many regard those apricots as one of Lamy’s miracles. Apricots are included in many recipes from the area and the best Bizcochitos are made with Apricot Brandy.
By the way, by statute, the Bizcochito is the official State cookie of New Mexico.
Biscochito and Bizcochito, both spellings are correct.
