SC - Recipe: Bizcochos

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

This is what I took to the arts exhibition in Marwick.


Bizcocho
Anise Sugar Cookies
16th century Spanish

Source: Diego Granado, Libro del Arte de Cozina, Madrid, 1599
Translation and redaction by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain of Tethba  (Copyright 
1999, Robin Carroll-Mann)

Para hazer bizcocho

Tomar vna dozena de huevos, y los diez sin claras, y batirlos en vn perol a vna 
mano. y despues de bien batidos echarles vna libra de açucar bien molido, y 
junto con los hueuos batirlo my bien, y echarle vna libra de almidon muy bien 
cernido, y vn poco de anis, y sal, y batirlo buen rato, y tener el hornillo de 
buen temple, y hazer sus casas de papeles con sus obleas debaxo, y echarlas 
alli, y poluorearlas con açucar por encima, y mirarlas de en rato en rato, hasta 
que esten hechas, y antes de mirar con vn cuchillo punçandolos, y si sale 
mojado no estan cozidos.


To make biscuit

Take a dozen eggs, and ten of them without whites, and beat them in a kettle 
with one hand, and after they are well beaten cast in a pound of well ground 
sugar, and beat it well together with the eggs, and cast in a pound of very well 
sifted starch, and a little anise, and salt, and beat it a good while, and have a 
little oven, well-tempered, and make your squares of papers with your wafers 
underneath, and cast them there; and powder them with sugar on top, and 
watch them moment by moment, until they are done, and before watching 
them prick them with a knife, and if it comes out wet they are not cooked.


Anise Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
8 egg yolks
1 pound wheat starch (approx. 4 scant cups)
1 pound sugar (approx. 2 cups + 5 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons ground anise seed
1 teaspoon salt
additional sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 325º F.  Place the eggs and egg yolks in the bowl of an 
electric mixer.  Beat on medium for a minute.  Gradually add the sugar to the 
eggs.  Turn the speed to low and gradually add the starch, salt, and anise to 
the egg mixture.  Beat on medium for 10 minutes.  You will have a thick, fluffy 
batter.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Alternatively, you may lightly 
grease the pans or use non-stick pans.  Drop the batter by tablespoons 2 
inches apart.  After a moment, they will spread out on the pan, and will spread 
further during baking.  Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Place in preheated oven.  Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until the cookies 
are set and a toothpick or knife-blade comes out clean.  The cookies should 
not be browned on top; there should be no more than a slight hint of golden 
color around the edges.  Remove carefully from the pan with a spatula.  
Cookies will be soft when they are first removed and may be prone to 
breakage.  They become firmer as they cool.  Cool on  racks.  Store after 
cooling in an air-tight container.   Makes approximately 5 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Notes: I found wheat starch at my local Chinese grocery.  If it is not available 
in your area, substituting all-purpose flour would probably work.  Another 
recipe for bizcocho in the same cookbook calls for either starch or flour.  Egg 
quantities were reduced on the assumption that medieval eggs were smaller.  I 
tried using parchment paper, but found that cookies were much easier to 
remove intact from greased pans.
Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net
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