Collection of Cinco de Mayo recipes, including Bizcochitos, or Mexican Wedding Cookies. These Cinco de Mayo cookies are made with anise seed and lemon zest.
When I first decided to make something fun for Cinco de Mayo this year, I went to my Mexican sister-in-law for advice. She turned me away from my first thought and suggested I make Mexican flan. Her family eats it all the time, and she’s quite good at making it.
But I hate flan. Like, really hate it.
I went looking for a cookie, because, after all, this is a cookie blog. I found these little Bizcochitos, which, according to my research, are very traditional. I asked my sister-in-law about them. She said, “What are those? I’ve never heard of them.”
Hmmm. Perhaps my research was not all that amazing.
Then again, Bizcochitos are the state cookie of New Mexico, and in my nearly two years living there, I never heard of them either.
Honestly, all this conflicting information makes my head hurt. At this point, I don’t care if they’re authentic or not. They’re at least kind-of Mexican, (and by that, I mean they have a Mexican-sounding name) and my family is going to be eating them for Cinco de Mayo.
Maybe that’s all we need to know.
By the way, as long as we’re not super worried about being authentic here, I should mention that these are meant to be made with lard, but I opted for shortening. Mostly because I never keep lard in the pantry. Aaaand, they’re meant to be a diamond shape, but mine are round. I’m just bastardizing my “traditional” cookies right and left.
You’ll probably find something much more “Mexican” by searching through my friends’ blogs. Remember last St. Patrick’s Day, when my friends and I got together to bring you a mega-ton of delicious somewhat-Irish food? We had so much fun doing that, we decided to get together again, and this time bring you a mega-ton of delicious, somewhat-Mexican food.
We aim to please.
Find these amazing recipes and blogs here:
1. Alfajores from Roxana’s Home Baking
2. Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado Yogurt Sauce from Crumb Blog
3. Classic Flan from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
4. Dulce de Leche Milkshake with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream from Chocolate Moosey
5. Lime Margerita Bars from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
6. Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche from Magnolia Days
7. Tropical Fiesta Cocktail from Hungry Couple NYC
8. Paletas – Mexican Popsicles from Pineapple and Coconut
9. Bizcochitos Cookies from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
10. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from Gotta Get Baked
11. Vegan Taco Salad from What Smells So Good
12. Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake from Kelly Bakes
13. Spicy Queso Blanco from The Messy Baker
14. Gorditas with Picadillo from Juanita’s Cocina
15. Strawberry Margerita Slurpee from Chocolate Chocolate and More
{Recipe adapted slightly from Scarletta Bakes}
- 1 cup shortening
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. anise seeds
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ cup sugar
- Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Add anise and lemon zest, and mix well. Add salt and baking powder and mix well.
- Add flour a bit at a time, mixing to incorporate. You may need to stir with a spoon or knead with your hands to get all the flour incorporated.
- Wrap in plastic or parchment paper and chill for 30-60 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar.
- Roll onto a lightly floured surface, to about ¼" thickness, and cut shapes. Place on baking sheet, and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
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Well, authentic or not, they sure look good! 🙂
Oh yum. Who cares if they are authentic or not… they look yummy. haha I have that same problem when I’m researching something. I recently made French Breakfast Muffins from another blog for an event and got tons of comments asking me why they are French. I don’t know… lol it’s what they were called.
At any rate, I love these little cookies and I love their name. Enjoy!
These look great!! Thanks again for all your hard work organizing this and making the collage and everything else!! You rock!!! I love being a part of this group!
Who cares if they are authentic, round, square, or whatever. The important part is that they are good and they certainly look that way to me.
Thanks a bunch for coordinating another fun Holiday Food Party!
Authentic or not, they look marvelous! I’ve rarely met a cookie I didn’t like 🙂
Jen, you crack me up. My favourite zinger: these may not be traditional (especially not after all your adaptations 😉 but they at least sound Mexican. So awesome. I’ve never baked with lard or shortening since they kind of freak me out. I may need to get over my issues in order to make these soft, tender, delicious cookies. And seriously, thank you so much for all your hard work putting this group together. I really appreciate it. Please don’t kick me out because I’m perpetually late – I promise I won’t be next time (or I’ll try not to be…)
I’m from NM, and I don’t think I knew our state cookie was the bizcochito? LOL! They ARE very traditional, and yours look ahhhh-mazing!
I love the combo of lemon and anise. These look perfect!
Well.. sometimes internet can’t be trusted. But Mexican or not these cookies look really yummy!
Your photos are stunning and your recipes sound delectable. We would love for you to share them at thefeastingeye.com. The Feasting Eye is still a bit new, but I think you will like what you see :-).
Well done! I can’t wait to try these!
If you didn’t tell us they were supposed to be diamonds, I would’ve guessed they came out just right! I don’t like anise seeds, so it’s hard to say if I would like these. You better mail me some to test 😉
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I just love these cookies, they look seriously delicious. I love that you adapted them from Scarletta Bakes, she is such a rock star with recipes like this. Great job on this holiday event Jen. You give good holiday parties woman!
I”m so incredibly intrigued by the taste of these with the anise seed. Lard huh? Also interesting, but I think your route with shortening works too!
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