Bizcochos (1953)

Díez de Pérez, María. La Cocina Selecta: Más de Mil Fórmulas de Guisos, Repostería, Panes, Dulces y Helados, para las Amas de Casa que Gustan Presentar una Buena Mesa. Veracruz: Mprenta Comercial Veracruz ; 1953. [TX716.M4 D539 1953]

The longest chapter by far in La Cocina Selecta… is Reposteria y Dulces. While most other sections offer between ten and a hundred dishes, her chapter on desserts includes more than 400 recipes! In honor of Díez de Pérez’ evident sweet tooth, we’ll spend two weeks on sweets, beginning with two (of the more than 30) recipes for bizcoches below.

Bizcocho de Almendra / Almond Sponge Cake (129)

Se amasa medio kilo de harina con cien gramos de mantequilla sal. 4 huevos. 150 gramos de azúcar y 150 gramos de almendras peladas y molidas. Se hace un pastel Redondo, se cubre de azúcar y cuece al horno.

Knead together 4 cups of flour with 2/5 cup butter. Add 4 eggs, ¾ cup sugar, and 1 cup ground almonds.

Note: Although bizcocho is generally translated as sponge cake, it can also be used to refer broadly to any sweet bread, usually without yeast [1], and that seems to be the case here. The proportion of dry to liquid ingredients in this recipe, and the absence of any mention of a cake pan suggests that it produces something more like a sweet scone or round shortbread. In the absence of specific instructions regarding temperature, it may require some experimentation to obtain ideal results. The range is probably somewhere between 375-425*F.

Bizcochos de Chocolate (130)

Se revuelven 6 huevos, 30 gramos chocolate, 115 gramos harina y 280 gramos azúcar. Se amasa todo, forman los bizcochitos y cuecen al horno.

Combine 6 eggs, ¼ cup grated chocolate, 1 cup flour, 1 2/5 cup sugar. Knead the mixture, form into biscochitos, and bake in the oven.

Note: This bizcocho recipe, on the other hand, seems like it would produce something like American cookies or perhaps English-style digestive biscuits. Again, without temperature guidelines, some experimentation is necessary, but a starting point of 350-375 would probably be safe.