Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe With Picture

These melt-in-your mouth, shortbread-like cookies go by many names; a Russian Tea Cake, a Mexican Wedding Cake, an Italian Butter Nut, a Southern Pecan Butterball, a Snowdrop, a Viennese Sugar Ball and a Snowball. They are very popular, not only during the Christmas season, but also at weddings, christenings, and other festive occasions. Looking at these cookies you may think they were Melting Moments, but the two differ in that Mexican Wedding Cakes contain ground nuts (ground pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts).

The secret to making these cookies taste their best is to use a high quality butter and pure vanilla extract. Butter in the States is graded according to flavor, color, texture, aroma and body and one easy way to tell the quality of the butter is by the letter code or numerical number listed on the butter's package. The highest grade is AA (93 score), then A (92 score), followed by B (90 score). Buying vanilla extract can also be a challenge as there are so many choices. The first thing to do is to make sure that it is labeled "pure". The best I have found, although it is quite expensive, is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract that can be found in specialty food stores and by mail order. If your budget doesn't allow this expenditure or you cannot find it, don't worry, there are quality brands to be found in your local grocery store. Just stay away from the ones labeled "imitation" vanilla extracts as they are made with synthetic vanilla (from glycoside found in the sapwood of certain conifers or from coal extracts) and leave a bitter aftertaste.

Mexican Wedding Cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool. Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.

Form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar on the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar).

Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Recipe:

2/3 cup (65 grams) toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts)

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar

1 teaspoon (2 grams) pure vanilla extract

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1 cup (110 grams) powdered (icing or confectioners) sugar, sifted

Top 25 Recipes of 2008*

*Top 25 Recipes based on actual site traffic from January 1 to December 31, 2008.


1. Chocolate Chip Cookies	2. Apple Crisp	3. Red Velvet Cake	4. Shortbread Cookies	4. Royal Icing

6. Sugar Cookies	7. Carrot Cake	8. Gingerbread Men	9. New York Cheesecake	10. Vanilla Cupcakes

11. Pumpkin Cheesecake	12. Pumpkin Pie	13. Pound Cake	14. Chocolate Truffles	15. Oatmeal Cookies

16. Rum Balls	17. Pavlova	18. Lemon Bars	19. Mexican Wedding Cakes	20. Ganache

21. Fruit Tart	22. Cream Scones	23. Butter Tarts	24. Yellow Butter Cake	25. Apple Pie

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