hi everybody! I have a question! I once had a Mexican cookie that was anise
flavored and tasteted very light, they were made around Christmas time and
haven't been able to find them since. I think they were called biscotti?
please advise and if you have the recipe I would greatly appreciate it.

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:31:10 GMT, sal moralez wrote:

> hi everybody! I have a question! I once had a Mexican cookie that was anise
> flavored and tasteted very light, they were made around Christmas time and
> haven't been able to find them since. I think they were called biscotti?
> please advise and if you have the recipe I would greatly appreciate it.

No recipe, but you can probably find them in most Italian grocery
stores and cookbooks, and from many non-Italian grocers and
supermarkets as well. Stella D'Oro is one common brand that comes
to mind, at least in the northeast USA.

"BillB" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:31:10 GMT, sal moralez wrote:
>
>> hi everybody! I have a question! I once had a Mexican cookie that was
>> anise
>> flavored and tasteted very light, they were made around Christmas time
>> and
>> haven't been able to find them since. I think they were called biscotti?
>> please advise and if you have the recipe I would greatly appreciate it.

Go to www.foodnetwork.com and type in Biscotti.
The are great for dunking!

"sal moralez" > wrote in message
news:ydSnd.433137$D%.8806@attbi_s51...
> hi everybody! I have a question! I once had a Mexican cookie that was
anise
> flavored and tasteted very light, they were made around Christmas time and
> haven't been able to find them since. I think they were called biscotti?
> please advise and if you have the recipe I would greatly appreciate it.

My wife made some Mexican wedding cookies that were coated with powdered
sugar (no anice). They were round like a ball and when you ate them they
made you cough beause you inhaled powdered sugar. I named them cough balls.

Ernie

"Ernie" > wrote in message
om...
> "sal moralez" > wrote in message
> news:ydSnd.433137$D%.8806@attbi_s51...
> > hi everybody! I have a question! I once had a Mexican cookie that was
> anise
> > flavored and tasteted very light, they were made around Christmas time
and
> > haven't been able to find them since. I think they were called biscotti?
> > please advise and if you have the recipe I would greatly appreciate it.
>
> My wife made some Mexican wedding cookies that were coated with powdered
> sugar (no anice). They were round like a ball and when you ate them they
> made you cough beause you inhaled powdered sugar. I named them cough
balls.
>
> Ernie

If you would like to try making them yourself they are really easy! Here is
the recipe I use.

Charlie

These are Mexican Cookies. The name is "Russian", but they aren't as far as
I know. They are very common in Mexican families in the San Diego area and
the adjoining areas of Mexico. I do not know how wide spread they are in
other parts of Mexico. The recipe was given to me by a co-worker about 20
years ago and they are still one of my favorites.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

Recipe by: Gracie Palma

Mix together:
1/2 lb. butter
1/2 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract [1]

Add to it this mixture sifted together:
2.25 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream all together until it turns into a smooth dough.

Mix in:
3/4 cup diced walnuts

Put dough into a "baggie" and chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Roll tsp. sized balls [2][3] in palm of hand and put on cookie sheets.
Bake at 400 deg. F. for 10 to 12 minutes, until slightly browned.

Let rest on cookie sheet for about 4 - 5 minutes [4] then roll them in
confectioner's sugar while still warm. Place on cooling rack. Roll again in
confectioner's sugar after they have cooled.

[1] Gracie used Mexican Vanilla for this recipe. Specifically, "Vanilla de
Papantia". It really is best for this recipe. I use Penzey's Double
Strength Vanilla. It worked well. Regular strength vanilla just doesn't have
enough flavor for this cookie.

[2] I never have the patience to do these in teaspoon sized balls. I usually
just break off what seems to be enough dough and roll that. I end up with
about 1 tbs. balls. The bigger the balls, the longer they need to cook.

[3] The thing here is that the butter content needs to be cold enough to be
firm, but not so firm that you can't work with it. If it is too warm, the
cookies will not work. You may need to re-cool the batter if it gets too
warm and won't hold it's shape. It really needs to be fairly cool when it
goes into the oven or the cookies will slump.

[4] They need to cool some or else you can't get them off the cookie sheet
without breaking them.

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "Ernie" > wrote in message
> om...
>> "sal moralez" > wrote in message
>> news:ydSnd.433137$D%.8806@attbi_s51...
>> > hi everybody! I have a question! I once had a Mexican cookie that was
>> anise
>> > flavored and tasteted very light, they were made around Christmas time
> and
>> > haven't been able to find them since. I think they were called
>> > biscotti?
>> > please advise and if you have the recipe I would greatly appreciate it.
>>
>> My wife made some Mexican wedding cookies that were coated with powdered
>> sugar (no anice). They were round like a ball and when you ate them they
>> made you cough beause you inhaled powdered sugar. I named them cough
> balls.
>>
>> Ernie
>
> If you would like to try making them yourself they are really easy! Here
> is
> the recipe I use.
>
> Charlie

Charlie . What's up?

Dimitri

"Dimitri" > wrote in message
m...
>
> "Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
> ink.net...
> >
> > "Ernie" > wrote in message
> > om...
> >> "sal moralez" > wrote in message
> >> news:ydSnd.433137$D%.8806@attbi_s51...
> >> > hi everybody! I have a question! I once had a Mexican cookie that was
> >> anise
> >> > flavored and tasteted very light, they were made around Christmas
time
> > and
> >> > haven't been able to find them since. I think they were called
> >> > biscotti?
> >> > please advise and if you have the recipe I would greatly appreciate
it.
> >>
> >> My wife made some Mexican wedding cookies that were coated with
powdered
> >> sugar (no anice). They were round like a ball and when you ate them
they
> >> made you cough beause you inhaled powdered sugar. I named them cough
> > balls.
> >>
> >> Ernie
> >
> > If you would like to try making them yourself they are really easy! Here
> > is
> > the recipe I use.
> >
> > Charlie
>
> Charlie . What's up?
>
> Dimitri

Hey Dimitri! Just hanging and trying to be useful.

Charlie

Oops! Sorry about the personal mail that went here.

Charlie

"sal moralez" > wrote in message
news:ydSnd.433137$D%.8806@attbi_s51...
> hi everybody! I have a question! I once had a Mexican cookie that was
> anise flavored and tasteted very light, they were made around Christmas
> time and haven't been able to find them since. I think they were called
> biscotti? please advise and if you have the recipe I would greatly
> appreciate it.

Enjoy:


BIZCOCHITOS (MEXICAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup lard (or shortening)
2/3 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp anise seed
1 large egg
1/4 cup orange juice
1 TBSP cinnamon

In a bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat lard, 2/3 cup sugar and anise seed
until fluffy. Beat in egg until blended. On medium speed, mix in orange
juice. Add dry ingredients. Stir to combine, then beat until well blended.

On a plate, mix remaining 2 TBSP sugar and cinnamon. Divide dough in half.
Pat each half into a ball. On a well floured board, roll dough, a portion at
a time, 1/4" thick. With floured cookie cutter, cut dough into shapes.

One at a time, dip top of each cookie in spiced sugar, pressing lightly so
sugar sticks. Set cookies, sugar side up, about 1/2" apart on ungreased
baking sheets. gather scraps into a ball, roll out and cut more cookies.

Bake cookies at 325°F degrees until bottoms are golden, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Dimitri