Mexican Wedding Cookies

These nutty, buttery, Mexican wedding cookies are always a guaranteed crowd pleaser. They are extra tender with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. 

I have the house all to myself this week and that means I’ll be baking like crazy. Every time Erez travels for work, I make plans 2 weeks in advance to keep my evenings and weekends full. It’s actually nice to see all of my friends in one week, and it reminds me of how lucky I am to have them. They know that if I get bored or need company, I can visit them without notice, and they’re ok with that because they know I bring cookies with me everywhere I go.

My parents are also on vacation this week so my friend Rene invited me to dinner last weekend and I love going there because her family is hilarious. I brought these Mexican wedding cookies and they were all gone in 10 minutes.

These Mexican wedding cookies recipe might look similar to my melting moments cookies recipe, but the main difference is the addition of pecans which give an amazing texture and flavor to the cookies. The other recipe also calls for cornstarch for a melt-in-your-mouth texture, but these are tender enough without it. If you love nuts, especially pecans, then you won’t be able to stop eating these cookies. If you start with one, you’ll easily end up with five. They’re addictive!

Pecans are my personal favorite in these, but you can use other nuts such as walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts.

Chill the dough

Since the dough will be very soft once done, you should chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, until firm enough to handle and roll into balls. This step will also cause the cookies to spread less while baking and keep their round shape.

Toasting the nuts

Although toasting the nuts is optional, it brings a nice aroma and taste to these treats, so I highly recommend it if you have an extra few minutes. If you’re feeling lazy (I can completely relate), then skip this step. Either way, you’ll end up with the most perfect tea cookies ever.

More Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies:

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Soft Sugar Cookies
• Tahini Cookies
• Thumbprint Cookies
• White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

5 from 3 votes

Mexican Wedding Cookies

YIELD: 40 bite-sized cookies

 

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Ingredients

• 2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks/227 g) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans or other nuts, preferably toasted and either chopped into small pieces or finely ground in a food processor*
• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted, for rolling

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat for about 2 minutes until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in nuts. Do not over mix.
3. If dough is soft (and it probably is), chill in the refrigerator, covered, for 1-2 hours until firm.
4. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line 2 pans with parchment paper.
5. If cookie dough is hard to handle after refrigerating, leave on counter to soften for a few minutes.

6. Using an ice cream scoop or level tablespoon, drop rounded balls of dough, 3cm/1.25-inch in diameter, onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 5cm/2-inch apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cookies just begin to brown at the edges. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. While they're still warm, gently roll them in powdered sugar, careful not to cause them to crumble. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, roll them in powdered sugar once more.

7. Cookies will keep well for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for up to a month.

Recipe Notes

* For evenly chopped nuts, it’s best to pulse them in a food processor until finely ground, but not to the point that they become a paste. Alternatively, if you want a bit more crunch, you can coarsely chop them.
* To toast the nuts, place them in an even layer on a pan lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 8 minutes.