Despite their name, Mexican Wedding Cookies are popular in San Antonio for more than just weddings. In fact, I’ve long thought of these delicious little morsels of win as a Christmas cookie, not a wedding one.
Now, there are lots of different versions of this little cookie. In fact, I think Russian Tea Cakes are pretty much identical, bar one thing: the nuts. Russian Tea Cakes call for Walnuts. Mexican Wedding Cookies call for Pecans.
There’s a very important reason behind that: Pecans are a huge crop in Texas and Mexico! To me, Pecans just taste like home.
One thing that these two cookies share, however, is their focus on vanilla. Vanilla naturally highlights any nut flavor, and they make no exception in Mexican Wedding Cookies. They’re one of my favorites because they are so simple: vanilla, pecan, and sugar mingle and marry and make your tastebuds sing.
There are only 6 ingredients in Mexican Wedding Cookies, and they come together super quick. I made these after work last night, and was done in time to watch the news in bed. What more could you ask from a weeknight treat or a holiday favorite? Make them for Thanksgiving. Make them for Hanukkah. Make them for New Year’s Eve. Just make them.
This recipe is the first in a series for a holiday recipe exchange organized by Jamie from My Baking Addiction and Katie from GoodLife {Eats}.
Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Beanilla. Head over to the recipe exchange to vote for my Mexican Wedding Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Adapted from “Mexican Wedding Cookies” in The Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh
Makes approximately 3 dozen
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar plus 1 cup for dusting
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter and 1/2 c. sugar together in a mixer on high until light and fluffy. While still mixing, add in the vanilla, salt, and chopped pecans, and continue until well combined.
Mix in flour by hand, stirring only until combined. Do not overmix or the cookies will be tough.
From dough into crescent shapes (I did this by using a cookie scoop. I’d make a scoop, and then cut the scoop in 1/2 to create half moons), and bake 12-16 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
Allow to cool. Put the rest of the sugar in a large bowl. When the cookies are cool to the touch, place 2-3 at a time into the bowl, and shake to coat with sugar. Once all the cookies are coated once, sift the remaining sugar over the cookies to give a second coating.
Ericka
Thursday 20th of December 2012
Love eating these little morsels of delight at Chrsitmas time. I plan on taking a tin to my Mom this Chrsitmas, something my daughters can help me make for G' Ma.
erin
Monday 17th of December 2012
just made these, and they came out DELIGHFUL. made them a bit smalled to pop perfectly in mouth, and baked for 16 minutes. a touch of nutmeg is also nice :)
Natalie
Sunday 29th of May 2011
These remind me of a recipe we made when I was growing up, the recipe card came from a neighbor a couple streets over, and was titled "Niessenpfeffern Cookies"... well after Katrina hit, we lost all our recipe cards (but I had copied some of my faves into a book, but forgot these)... after much searching, I find out about "Pfeffernusse"!! Which are very similar but some variations use almonds or walnuts, or some have none! We always made ours into "fingers". The pfeffernusse recipes I have found online call for white pepper but I don't recall using that... but I could be wrong! I just remember them being YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
Where in the World?
Sunday 5th of December 2010
Oh! These cookies are almost identical to my grandmother's pecan fingers...a staple Christmas cookie in our house.
There is something about the flakiness of the cookie with the pecan and powdered sugar.
Delcious!
annelies
Saturday 4th of December 2010
These are one of my favorite Texas sweets. Seriously. You and I are in each other's heads because I've been wanting to make some since my wedding in October... but I made them tonight instead for a cookie swap I'm hosting tomorrow. They turned out great and tasted perfect Amber!