Description
Sweet Mexican wedding cookies blend almond and vanilla flavors into buttery, powdered sugar-coated delights. Crumbly shortbread-style treats originate from European and Mexican culinary traditions, inviting warm memories of family celebrations and festive gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (227 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 heaping cup pecans (240 ml)
- 1¼ cups (150 g) powdered sugar, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preparation: Ignite the oven to 350°F and drape parchment paper across two baking sheets. Delicately toast pecans in a skillet over low heat, stirring periodically until an aromatic fragrance emerges. Pulse toasted nuts in a food processor into a coarse, rustic meal.
- Dry Mixture Preparation: Whisk flour and ground cinnamon in a bowl until impeccably blended. Reserve powdered sugar for the final coating in a separate container.
- Dough Creation: Utilize a stand mixer to whip butter, powdered sugar, and salt into a light, airy mixture. Introduce almond and vanilla extracts, ensuring thorough incorporation. Gradually integrate the flour mixture, then tenderly fold in ground pecans until a cohesive dough materializes.
- Shaping and Chilling: If the dough appears overly tacky, refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Employ a cookie scoop to portion the dough, rolling each section into smooth, uniform spheres. Arrange the cookie orbs onto prepared baking sheets.
- Baking and Coating: Slide the sheets into the preheated oven, baking for 13-16 minutes until edges transform into a delicate golden hue. Allow cookies to rest on the sheets for 15 minutes, then gently enrobe each warm cookie in the reserved powdered sugar.
- Cooling and Finishing: Transfer cookies to a wire rack, permitting them to cool completely and enabling the powdered sugar coating to set elegantly.
Notes
- Toast Nuts Carefully: Low and slow heat prevents burning, releasing deeper nutty flavors and creating a more complex pecan texture.
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerating helps control stickiness and allows butter to firm up, ensuring perfectly shaped cookies with clean edges.
- Handle Warm Cookies Gently: Roll cookies in powdered sugar while still warm to create a smooth, even coating that adheres beautifully.
- Store with Precision: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain their delicate texture and powdery finish.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg