Historic Mesilla Biscochitos are a "new world" food with "old world" roots. Introduced to Mexico by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, their true origin can be traced to Medieval Arabian cuisine. When the Moors invaded Seville, thexico ey brought this recipe with them. Biscochitos (known in many countries/cusines by different names) are traditionally associated with holiday feasts; most notably Christmas and weddings, but today they are available for everyone to enjoy year round.

Declared the official State Cookie in 1989 thanks to the efforts of biscochito baker Frances Mitchelle Maldonado, these beloved little cookies are favorites among New Mexicans for all special events.

Writer, Miguel Hambriento wrote "they are heaven's own little cakes blended delicately of sugar and spice, flour and wine and other secret ingredients, shaped by the swift fingers of the linda señora into small diamonds and baked until they are the delicate brown of the maiden's cheek kissed by the New Mexico sun". Hambriento, a pseuodonym writer in Mesilla, New Mexico during the early 1900's, exclaimed that the best biscochos came from a plump widow in Mesilla (Historic Old Mesilla near Las Cruces). Hambriento tells a tale of a bloody 1871 fight between republicans and democrats at the plaza of Old Mesilla- where Billy the Kid frequented, in which the parties fought for Dona Isabella's biscochos and wine. After the republicans fled back to Ascencion, Mexico, they returned to Mesilla because after the Gadsden Purchase in 1854 which created the present-day southern border of the US with Mexico, the area's only flour mill was on this side of the border and they made peace in order to be assured access to the flour for their wives to make biscochos and other traditional foods they craved and ate.

This wonderful tale may be more fiction than fact, but one fact is true today, I make biscochos using the recipe that my mother, born in Mesilla, New Mexico in the house now known as the Matrose house, handed down to me. My mother has gifted me my Tia Mary's secret biscocho recipe and today you can taste the tradition that these little wonderful cookies behold.