I love old barns, and this one caught my attention for a different reason. It isn’t covered in modern siding. It isn’t wrapped in vinyl or metal. It’s adobe — a building method that’s been used in the Southwest for centuries.

Every Building Material Has a Job

Adobe made sense because builders worked with their climate, available materials and purpose.

And we still do that today.

A shed sitting through East Texas sun, humidity, thunderstorms and wind has a very different job from an old adobe barn sitting in the dry Southwest.

That’s one reason I’m fascinated by building materials. From centuries-old adobe to today’s engineered wood siding, what we put on the outside of a building has always mattered.

And there’s one modern siding product I particularly like for sheds.

We’ll talk about that one soon.

P.S. While in New Mexico, I always get my favorite cookies – Biscochitos!

Here is the recipe – they are fabulous to make for Christmas!

Biscochitos

Ingredients

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 to 1½ teaspoons ground anise
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ pound lard, softened
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons sweet white wine, brandy, rum, apple or pineapple juice
• ¼ cup sugar and ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon for the topping

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, anise, and salt and set aside.
2. Beat the lard in an electric mixer, gradually adding the sugar, and beat until extremely fluffy and light, about 8 minutes. Don’t shortcut this step. Stop the mixer every couple of minutes and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl.
3. Add the egg, followed by the wine, and continue beating.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients, adding about one-third of the mixture at a time. Stop the mixer as you make each addition, and beat no longer than necessary to incorporate the dry ingredients. A stiff pie-crust type of dough is what you’re seeking.
5. Chill the dough for about 15 minutes for easy handling.
6. Preheat the oven to 350.
7. Roll out the dough ¼-inch thick on a floured work surface and cut with a paring knife into a fleur-de-lis, or cut with a small cookie cutter. Avoid handling the dough any more than necessary, one of the keys to the melt-in-your-mouth texture.
8. Transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets.
9. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until just set and pale golden.
10. While the cookies bake, stir together the topping.
11. When the cookies are done, cool for just a minute or two on the baking sheets, then gently dunk the top of each in the cinnamon sugar.
12. Transfer to absorbent paper to finish cooling.

This recipe is from the New Mexico department of tourism – New Mexico True. There are other variations, but this one is my favorite!

Visit New Mexico True for the original recipe and more New Mexico favorites.

— The Shed Lady