Prune pie
New Mexico Prune Pie
crust pie. Today, the people of Taos Pueblo and of Taos create this tasty pie to serve for festive events. Add a sprinkle or two of ground cinnamon to the filling and on the top crust for authenticity. 1 unbaked 9-inch double piecrust 1 12-ounce package pitted prunes, cooked (save the juice) 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup prune juice (from when you
Biscochitos a la Menice
flour with the eggs and shortening. 11/2 cups solid shortening 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon anise seeds, mashed to release flavor 5 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar for the topping (mix equal parts sugar and cinna - mon) Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Mash
Pies, pasteles, pan dulce — nothing makes the house smell as warm and “Christmasy” on a cold Saturday afternoon as fresh baked pies or bread. Wild plums grow in profusion in the Taos area, and the Taos Pueblo people have always gathered them for drying to use as a ready source of vitamin C. Spanish cooks simply adapted the wild plum to use in this unusual two-
Menice Santistevan is a prize-winning good cook. Director of personnel and grant writer for the town of Taos, she comes to the culinary world naturally, since her mother, Tomisita, is also a fine cook. Menice’s recipe for biscochitos often wins Best of Show at the Taos County Fair. These cookies are not crisp; they are more like fine pastry. Menice says that you may add 1/4 cup liquid to this recipe, sweet wine, orange juice or brandy, but it will make the cookies crisp and hard. Yes, it will take a lot of effort to combine the
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cooked the prunes) cup sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice Dash salt Place cooked prunes in bottom crust. Combine egg, juice, sugar and salt and pour over the prunes. Top with second crust. Brush top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar for a crisp crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes.
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In addition, she offered gourmet cooking classes in her home and compiled three cookbooks, including “Cooking Northern New Mexico Traditional Foods.”
anise seeds with back of spoon to lightly crush. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir together the flour and the shortening, sugar and egg mixture. This is very tedious, and be sure and work in all the flour mix. Roll out on a lightly floured board and cut into fancy shapes (triangles or squares). Sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon sugar. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven until golden (about 12 minutes). Makes 5-6 dozen. Can be made ahead of time and frozen.
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