Very good sugar cookies with just a hint of licorice flavor! I couldn't find lard so I used butter instead and they still turned out fantastic.
This recipe is the best. My Grandmother used to make me these cookies as a little girl. The only difference to the recipe was she used ( pineapple-juice)instead of (brandy). She would roll the cookies in the sugar & cinnamon when the cookies were still hot. Thank You VERY MUCH.
DELICIOUS! I'm Latina... these cookies bring back memories of baking at Xmas with my Grandmother! A couple of suggestions: (1) Melt lard in the microwave before mixing it with sugar.... it keeps the dough more moist when rolling; (2) Use 1 Tablespoon of Anise Liquid instead of seeds; (3) at Xmas coat w red & green sugar sprinkles instead of sugar & cinnamon; (4) Use bread flour instead of all purpose flour & ALWAYS sift it; (5) NEVER substitute Crisco butter or Vegetable Oil for the lard. Notes: #2 - I don't like licorice but love these cookies. By using anise liquid instead of seeds the taste spreads thru the cookie & isn't as overpowering! Even my Mexican family prefers them over my grandmother's own recipe with anise seeds! #4 -- Bread flour helps keep the cookie light like shortbread instead of dense & heavy. I have used wheat flour & it doesn't change flavor just texture. Don't forget to sift the flour as this too helps keep them light & flaky. #5 -- I know I know the lard has 10 000 calories & it's all fat! But the cookie is supposed to be flaky & a light shortbread consistency; you lose that texture with other shortenings & they become heavy & dense. I try to eat healthy & use Canola butter wheat flour splenda in recipes but this isn't one of them that works with substitutes. Eat them once or twice a year guilt free then get on the bike & do some cardio. Trust me after 46 years of eating these cookies you won't regret the indulgence!
Well, first off: Never send a man to do a womans job. :p My husband bought All Vegetable Shortnening instead of lard. Still, they came out DELICIOUS! I was told they come out better w/ lard, so i'll use that next time. Also, I used brandy, not pineapple juice like another suggested, but I did use PJ to moisten up the dough when needed. THANK YOU!
I am glad I came across this recipe. I made about 4 dozen of these cookies they where delicious. Everyone loved them for the holidays they went great with hot chocolate or coffee!!!
This recipe brought back memories of my grandmother! I loved them. They tasted just like the ones she made for us as children. My grandmothers recipes is almost exact except for a couple small details. Her recipe used only 1 C of sugar and she used 3 eggs. She also used orange juice (I like to use OJ) or whiskey for the liquid. This is a keeper!
These are as good as my sister-in-laws SECRET RECIPE that she won't give out. My husband loves biscochitos and these won him over.
My mother has been making these cookies all my life - it wouldn't be Christmas without them! We have always used small (1 inch) cookie cutters in various shapes. We put the cookies in a bowl filled with cinnamon/sugar and then put them on the baking sheet - then back in the sugar when they come out of the oven! My family eats them like popcorn!
I made this for a hispanic friend of mine. She never said how they were so..... My husband thought they were good. Update: My hispanic friend said these were wonderful! She said they brought back memories.
The dough came out very dry and so did the cookie. I made two batches just to make sure I hadn't messed one up and the result was the same.