Rich, sweet gems with a mysterious past: get to know Mexican Wedding Cookies!
The name Mexican wedding cookies conjures up images of a moonlit fiesta, with abundant food and music and romance in the air. However, if you go hunting for the origin of this cookie, you will stumble down a rabbit hole! Known alternatively as Russian tea cakes, Swedish tea cookies, snowballs, and other names, these little cookies have multiple origin stories. It is hard to pin down where exactly they came from. Suffice it to say that dense, nut-filled, egg-free cookies rolled in powdered sugar have been around, in a lot of places, for a long time.
In my family and many others here in the States, Mexican wedding cookies are associated with the holidays, not necessarily weddings. As a child, it was one of the first cookies I remember making besides sugar cutout cookies. That’s probably because the recipe is super simple; the finished cookies are also fun to eat. No matter how hard you try, you end up with powdered sugar on your lips and fingers! And if you laugh or sneeze while enjoying one, be prepared to clean up powdered sugar everywhere.
You will love making Mexican wedding cookies because of the short ingredient list that delivers big flavor. The dough is stiff and studded with chopped pecans, and the baked cookie is dense and rich. The coup de grâce is the powdered sugar. You actually roll the just-baked cookies in the powdered sugar once, then twice for a perfectly powdery, sweet coating. These cookies look dainty and lovely, and taste just as good.
Avoiding crumbly cookies
While the texture of Mexican wedding cookies is closer to shortbread (due to the absence of eggs), if you end up with super-crumbly cookies, it may be due to the butter being too cold. Make sure the butter is properly softened and blends easily with the other ingredients. If you start blending and it’s balling up, it’s too cold. If you’ve already started mixing, let it sit at room temperature in the bowl for an additional 30 minutes and try again. Properly softened butter should be around 65°F, and when you lightly press your fingers on it, there should be an indentation left behind.
How do I store leftovers?
Store leftover Mexican wedding cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature. Packed this way, they will keep for up to 7 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them. Flash-freeze the cookies on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes and then stack them in an airtight container for longer storage. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.
Serving suggestions
For a perfect holiday cookie tray, include Mexican wedding cookies! They look beautiful and their “snowy” appearance makes them perfect for any of the festive winter holidays. They go well with just about any of the classics. Make up a tray or package with cookies like Chocolate Macaroons, Frosted Sugar Cookies, and Classic Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies for a fabulous array of treats. Especially if it’s cold outside, make a mug of your favorite hot beverage, grab a cozy throw, and enjoy your homemade goodies as a treat to yourself.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus extra for coating
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract until well mixed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sifted flour and salt then gradually mix into the creamed butter. Stir until just combined.
- Fold the chopped pecans in until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies are set but not browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then roll each warm cookie in extra powdered sugar. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, roll the cooled cookies in powdered sugar a second time for a thicker coating.
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