Look, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Sometimes we don’t get biscochitos. If you’ve never had one, they’re the most New Mexico of cookies—a sort of crumbly sugary/cinnamon-y thing with hints of anise and, in our opinion, a real sand-like quality most of the time. We get that whole thing about, like, tradition and the things you ate growing up and so on; but have you seen the cookie advancements we’ve made as a people? We ain’t trying to eat a handful of sand, dear readers, even if that sand is admittedly tasty as hell.
Enter the Santa Fe Biscochito Company, a one-time Plaza-based stand that now has a full-ass brick and mortar at 330 Sandoval Street—just across the way from our Design Center offices. Hey, owner Richard Perea? If you’re reading this, you might be the dude who turned us around in the biscochito realm, because, homie, your version of the classic Nuevo Mexicano treat held together, tasted great and even had a little Zia symbol baked in there to make us feel all sorts of cool about living in this state.
(Side note? If you’re gonna use Zia symbology, you should reach out to the tribe at ziapueblo.org to see about kicking them a few bucks).
Yes, we’ve tried the Santa Fe Biscochito Company biscochito and loved it, and we think that might have something to do with the anise seed all up in there. Don’t get us wrong, we love cinnamon, but ‘tis a spice that often dominates a dish or cookie leaving many of the other ingredients to languish in can’t-taste-’em town. We also appreciated that you just straight-up use lard in your version of the cookie. We know that’s not for everyone, but sometimes you’ve just gotta realize you’re having a cookie, and if you want to eat something that’s completely healthful, have some celery and shut the hell up. Anyway, the company doesn’t use any artificial flavors or ingredients, which might have gone a long way toward our enjoyment. You can also get special gift boxes with chile dusting—and you know that when Christmas rolls around, you’ll be pumped to know they exist. So yeah. We’re down and we just think everyone should know the shop exists. Y’all might also like to know that the product is certified New Mexico True, a designation from the New Mexico Tourism Department for things and products that are New Mexico as fuck (that’s not the official tagline, but we think it would be so funny if it were).
Meanwhile…
If you’re more of a do-it-yourself-er, we’re gonna tack on our own recipe for the enduringly popular cookie. This one comes to us from The Fork before us, Eli Seratt. She was cool. We’re cooler. Here’s that recipe:
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Zest of one orange
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons brandy or whiskey
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons anise extract
Topping:
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in orange zest.
Combine cinnamon and sugar for topping in a small bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl beat vegetable shortening with a mixer, gradually adding sugar, until light and fluffy. Add egg, brandy, orange juice, vanilla extract and anise extract and beat well.
Add dry ingredients the shortening mixture gradually, stopping when mixture is combined. Do not overwork—dough will have consistency similar to pie crust.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon dough into cookie press, and press shapes onto lined baking sheets. *Alternately: roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper, using about 1/2 to 1/3 of the dough at a time. Cut out cookies and place on lined baking sheets.
Bake cookies 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture immediately. Cool one minute and loosen cookies from parchment paper. Allow to cool completely.
Hot.
Also
- We are sorry to inform you that Arroyo Vino Restaurant and Wine Shop has announced chef Allison Jenkins died over the weekend following a pulmonary embolism. Jenkins took over the AV kitchen in 2018, and her career spanned from the Coyote Café to Aspen, Austin and beyond. Word is her sous chef will take the lead for now, but Arroyo Vino will be closed Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11. Our thoughts and condolences are with Jenkins' friends and family.
- It would seem that just about everyone in Santa Fe is doing their own version of fish ’n’ chips. For the record? We lived in London for a time as a youth, and we still say Second Street Brewery’s version is the best and most like those we loved there. Still, SFR staffers enjoyed those at Time Travelers Gastropub, and everyone around here seemed to lose their minds when that On the Hook pop-up came rolling through town. According to reader Sam B., Tiny’s Restaurant & Lounge has some, too, which kind of blew our mind because we sort of thought of that place as the rip a bunch of Tecates and sing karaoke place. It’s on our list now, but we also thought you should know.
- Didja catch SFR’s recent interview with Freezie Fresh ice cream truck founder Xzavian Cookbey? You might recall him as the dude who formerly did rolled ice cream—but now he’s on scoops, baby. Apparently that’s a lot easier and quicker to do, but Cookbey’s penchant for quality flavors remain. He rec’d we all try out a lemon cream style number…and we hear there shall be a rosé ice cream soon. Catch the brief chat here.
- Looks like popular burger pop-up One Trick Pony Burger is gearing up for a return this summer. If’n you’re not yet familiar, check out this SFR story from last year wherein we got some insight into proprietor Sarah Keats’ little empire. From what we’ve seen on the OTPB Insta, we know she’ll be slangin’ burgs on June 20 at El Rey Court—but that same page says, and we quote, “Pop-ups will be less frequent, so please clear ur freaking calendar and come out.” Follow that Insta here to insta-know when she’s insta-burg-ing.
- Hey, home cooks and people who wonder why their knives won’t cut anything anymore? Do you know about Myrkrfell Forge? It’s this local biz that not only forges knives, but offers sharpening services (sometimes at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market). You can and should follow the Facebook page if you’re looking for knife clarity. You’d be amazed how a simple sharpening changes everything from jacked-up tomato slices to that thing where you end up flattening a loaf of bread because your 15-year-old knife is bobo. Here’s a link to the official site. Here’s the Facebook page.
Everything we do, we do it for you
More Tidbits
- You know how we all keep hearing more and more about microplastics and how they’re probably already in us, coming together like some kind of plastic monster to destroy our lives? Mayhaps if you have, you’ve also wondered about what that means for soda drinkers. Food and/or Wine-dot-com has a piece about just that, and we thought you’d all like to know. In reality, there’s not, like, a good part about drinking soda. You should just drink coffee and water, like we do. And let us just add one more word: Nanoplastics, son. OK, two words.
- Despite how tragically awful that Fresh Off the Boat show became (which was hard to handle because Randall Park is a freakin’ delight), food pro Eddie Huang (whose book of the same name the show was based upon) is apparently back to doing food stuff. Learn more about what that means here.
- Lastly in non-local news, Spider-Man star Tom Holland went and launched a non-alcoholic booze brand, and the fine folks at Taste of Home-dot-com conducted a taste test. If you can’t drink but somehow need beer (a preposterous conundrum), you can check that out by following this link. Then you can find better versions of that. Then you can just drink coffee and water like a person.
A Totally Scientific Breakdown of The Fork’s Correspondence
This week in the print edition of SFR, our food writer learns all over again that we have some damn fine hotel restaurants around here. This time out, it’s Joe’s Tequila Bar from Inn on the Alameda.
Number of Letters Received
8
*Once again, you can find us at thefork@sfreporter.com. Use it!
Most Helpful Tip (A Barely Edited Comment From a Reader)
“Make Father’s Day memorable!”
*No.
Actually Helpful Tip
Nobody talks about or gives love to the breakfast burrito and tamale lady behind the coke can (turn right at the giant Coke can) on the way to Pecos Canyon, but everything I’ve had from there is sublime and unless it’s Sunday (closed then), the bacon/green is especially top-notch.
*Reader Josh H. givin’ us something to chew on!
Cinnamon and sugary,
The Fork
