Santa Fe Biscochito Company’s artisanal cookies will sweeten your day.
A Cookie for Every Season
’Tis the season for biscochitos, a traditional holiday cookie of northern New Mexico. However, biscochito buffs will be thrilled to know that the official state cookie of New Mexico is always in season at Santa Fe Biscochito Company, where the handcrafted cookies are delightfully crisp and brimming with the flavor of both whole and crushed anise.
Memories in Every Bite
“It’s such a humble cookie,” says owner and baker Richard Perea, a Santa Fe native who knows the deep significance these cookies carry for generations of New Mexicans who bake them for weddings, anniversaries, and other events. Moreover, he adds, “It’s special to different people in different ways. It’s not the ingredients. It’s the way it makes you feel. It reminds me of my childhood.”
Finding the Perfect Recipe
Perea grew up helping his grandmother make tortillas, which she would sell to local businesses. Because her recipe repertoire didn’t include biscochitos, Perea had to experiment to find a perfect version that worked for him. Therefore, he began to test batch after batch. “I tried to reinvent the biscochito, with red wine, sangria, orange zest,” he says, laughing. “I tested and tested and shared with friends.”
Ultimately, a simple recipe won out — a combination of eggs, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, whole and crushed anise, brandy, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and lard. Yes, lard, because it’s long been an essential ingredient to the cookie’s flaky texture and rich flavor.
Tradition Meets Creativity
Located in downtown Santa Fe in the former Primo Cigar Company building, the Santa Fe Biscochito Company offers a trio of biscochito varieties: traditional with cinnamon and sugar; dusted with green chile powder; and dusted with red chile powder. Additionally, each cookie is shaped in 3-inch squares and stamped with a Zia symbol — perhaps as a nod to Perea’s skill as a silversmith and jewelry designer. (The traditional version is also available in a circular shape.)
The Biscochito, Reinvented
Perea has taken the biscochito to new heights with his invention of the Biscookie. It’s a tantalizing ice cream sandwich made with two biscochitos and a generous scoop of small-batch ice cream such as Java Chip, Chingon Piñon, and — for serious biscochito fans — Biscochito ice cream flecked with biscochito bits. As a result, what was once a humble cookie has become a full-fledged dessert experience.
A Sweet Spot in Santa Fe
The Santa Fe Biscochito Company also serves breakfast burritos, bagel sandwiches, and coffee drinks. Meanwhile, the sweet, living room-style space is great for relaxing and savoring every blissful biscochito bite. Moreover, if you need a holiday gift to go, the cookies are available in festive packages that you’ll want to gift to yourself. Try “Little Biscuits” of Joy at Santa Fe Biscochito Company today!
Story by Lynn Cline
Photography by Laura Petrilla
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