hese
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.
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.
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