Today I took a salsa break, but kept it spicy and Southwestern with Martha’s Biscochitos with Mexican Hot Chocolate from page 326.
Here’s a fun fact, in 1989 New Mexico became the first state in the union to adopt its very own official state cookie – the biscochito! For those of you who may not of heard of it before, a biscochito is a type of shortbread cookie. It’s made with lard, which is unusual for a cookie, but gives it a flaky texture, similar to a pie crust only lighter. It has delicate notes of anise and orange and it’s dusted with cinnamon and sugar for a little extra warmth and sweetness since the dough itself has very little sugar. It pairs beautifully with the Mexican hot chocolate, flavored with cinnamon and chilies that gives it a nice spiciness that sneaks up on you as you’re drinking it. The whipped cream on top mellows out the heat just a bit and makes it perfectly decadent!
I didn’t have star and crescent moon shaped cookie cutters, so I used a round one and then I took my paring knife to it to create the crescent moon shapes. Hey, if you don’t have the tools you have to get creative!
You might wonder if this is a good dessert to have in Florida in the middle of the summer as this certainly comes off as more of a comforting treat for a cold winter night. But there has been a lot of rain and thunder and lightening here in Hudson and this is the perfect dessert to sooth your soul on a dark and stormy night. Just look at that picture…doesn’t that look tempting to indulge in any time of the year?
