Biscocho de Huevo with Orange Zest

Name: Biscocho de Huevo with Orange Zest
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, at room temperature; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 5 (250 g) large eggs, at room temperature, at room temperature; 2 teaspoon (5 g) orange zest, finely grated; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoon (7½ g) baking powder; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A classic Dominican-Puerto Rican biscuit cookie with a light, crispy crumb and bright orange zest throughout. These twice-baked cookies are perfect for dunking in coffee or hot chocolate and stay fresh for days in an airtight container. The orange zest adds a subtle citrus note that brightens the simple, buttery dough.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 15 min
Makes: 24 biscuit cookies

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)
Have room-temperature eggs ready—cold eggs won't incorporate smoothly
Zest your orange before cutting or juicing it
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

1
Cream butter and sugar
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3–4 minutes, until pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in color.
- This incorporates air into the dough, creating the light crumb texture that characterizes biscocho.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale, fluffy, and has nearly tripled in volume
Tip: Room-temperature butter beats into sugar much more smoothly than cold butter; cold butter will be grainy and won't fully incorporate.
2
Add eggs one at a time
- With the mixer running on medium speed, add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, waiting about 30 seconds between additions and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each egg.
- Add the vanilla extract after the last egg.
- The mixture will look slightly curdled or separated at first—this is normal and will come together once you add the flour.
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Ready when: All eggs are fully incorporated and mixture is creamy and slightly thick
Tip: Cold eggs won't blend smoothly with the butter and sugar; they can cause the batter to become lumpy or separate. Always bring eggs to room temperature first.
3
Stir in orange zest
- Remove the mixer bowl and fold in the finely grated orange zest by hand using a rubber spatula.
- Stir gently until the zest is evenly distributed throughout the batter, about 1 minute.
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Ready when: Orange zest is evenly scattered throughout the batter with no white streaks
Tip: Fold gently to avoid deflating the air you've beaten into the butter and sugar. The zest should be visible throughout the dough.
4
Combine dry ingredients
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt until no lumps remain.
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Ready when: Flour is pale, uniform, and no streaks of baking powder remain
Tip: Whisking the dry ingredients distributes the baking powder evenly, ensuring the cookies rise consistently.
5
Fold in flour mixture
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Do not overmix—the dough should come together with no streaks of flour visible, but still be tender.
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Ready when: No white flour streaks remain; dough is smooth and cohesive
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten, which toughens the cookies. Stop folding as soon as you don't see any flour streaks.
6
Shape and bake the loafOven 350°F / 175°C
- Transfer the dough to one of the prepared baking sheets and gently shape it into a 9 × 3-inch (23 × 7.5 cm) loaf about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick, using lightly floured hands or a small loaf pan as a guide.
- You can also pat the dough directly into a small loaf pan (8 × 4 inch / 20 × 10 cm) and invert it onto the baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes, until the top is light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Ready when: Top is light golden brown, cake springs back lightly when touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
Tip: The loaf should be firm but still tender; overbaking will make the final cookies too hard.
7
Cool before slicing
- Remove the baked loaf from the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet for 8–10 minutes until it is firm enough to handle but still warm.
- This resting time is crucial—it allows the crumb structure to set so the cookies won't crumble when you slice them.
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Ready when: Loaf is warm but firm to the touch and doesn't feel soft or jiggly
Tip: Don't slice while the cake is piping hot—it will crumble. Don't wait until it's completely cold, or slicing becomes difficult.
8
Slice and arrange for second bake
- Using a serrated knife, slice the warm loaf into ¾-inch (2 cm) thick slices.
- Arrange them in a single layer on the two prepared baking sheets, standing them upright or laying them flat—either works.
- You should have 24 slices.
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Ready when: All slices are uniform thickness and neatly arranged on the baking sheets
Tip: A serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion prevents crumbling. If the cake is difficult to slice, let it cool 2–3 more minutes.
9
Toast until crispyOven 350°F / 175°C
- Return the baking sheets to the 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 12–18 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown, dry, and crispy throughout.
- If baking both sheets, swap their positions halfway through (top to bottom and vice versa) to ensure even browning.
- The cookies should feel hard and sound hollow when tapped.
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Ready when: Cookies are deep golden, feel hard and dry to the touch, and produce a hollow sound when tapped lightly
Tip: Watch closely in the final 3 minutes—they go from golden to dark brown quickly. Biscocho should be crispy enough to dunk but not burnt.
10
Cool completely
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- As they cool, they will firm up further and become even crispier.
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Ready when: Cookies are completely cool, hard, and crispy throughout
Tip: Don't rush this cooling step. The longer they cool, the crispier they become—perfect for dunking.

Good to know

Tips

Biscocho is meant to be dunked in coffee, hot chocolate, or other hot beverages—this is how it's traditionally enjoyed in the Caribbean. The crispy texture softens just enough to be pleasant without falling apart.
For extra crispiness, you can do a third, light baking at 300°F (150°C) for 8–10 minutes after the second bake, watching carefully to avoid burning.
These cookies are simple by design—the quality of your butter and eggs will be noticeable, so use the best you have.
If the dough seems sticky or soft, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before shaping and baking. This makes it easier to handle.

Make ahead

You can prepare the dough up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerate it, covered. Let it come back to room temperature before baking. You can also bake the loaf a day ahead, wrap it tightly, and slice and toast it the next day.

Storage & reheating

Store cooled biscocho in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. They stay crispy due to their low moisture. For longer storage, freeze in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Do not refrigerate, as the moisture will soften them.

Substitutions

orange zest → Lemon zest or lime zest. Use the same amount (2 teaspoons / 5 g) for a different citrus note. Lemon is more traditional in some regions.
vanilla extract → Almond extract or rum extract. Use ½ teaspoon for almond or rum extract, as they are more intense than vanilla. Rum extract is especially authentic in Puerto Rican versions.
baking powder → ½ teaspoon baking soda plus ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar. This creates the same leavening effect. Mix with the flour before adding to the wet ingredients.
fine sea salt → Kosher salt (use slightly less, about 3/16 teaspoon / 1 g). Kosher salt is less dense than fine sea salt, so reduce the amount slightly to avoid over-salting.