What anise-flavored cookie is the official state cookie of New Mexico?

The anise-flavored cookie that is New Mexico’s official state cookie is the biscochito. It is also commonly spelled bizcochito, the form used by the English Wikipedia article.

Biscochitos developed in New Mexico from the cooking traditions of Spanish colonists in the historic region of Santa Fe de Nuevo México. The crisp cookie is traditionally made with lard, flour, sugar, anise, and cinnamon. Bakers roll the dough thin and cut it into shapes such as stars, circles, crosses, or fleur-de-lis.

New Mexico designated the cookie its official state cookie in 1989, making the state an early leader in recognizing a traditional food symbol. The designation was intended to help preserve home-baked cooking traditions. Biscochitos remain especially associated with Christmas, Catholic holidays, weddings, baptisms, and coffee.

A common mix-up is the spelling: “biscochito” and “bizcochito” refer to the same New Mexican cookie, while bizcocho is a broader Spanish word for a cake or biscuit. Sopapillas, another New Mexican specialty, are fried pastries rather than cookies.