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Makes
24 to 32 cookies, depending on cookie size
Author Notes
These cookies are dense, nutty, and covered in powdered sugar—everything you could hope for in a cookie. My family calls these Mexican wedding cookies, but I have also heard them referred to as Italian wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes, and sometimes even Pecan Sandies. I have adapted this recipe from one found in my grandmother’s church cookbook, which consisted of four brief sentences and something called "nut meats." I hope you will enjoy these as much as my family has. —Emily Love
Ingredients
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3/4 cup
(1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
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1/2 cup
powdered sugar, sifted, plus more for rolling
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1 tablespoon
cold water, plus more as needed
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1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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2 cups
all-purpose flour, sifted
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1/4 teaspoon
salt
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1 cup
chopped pecans or walnuts
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1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon (optional)
Directions
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Heat oven to 350º F.
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In a deep bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and powdered sugar
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Beat in cold water and vanilla.
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In another bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
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Add flour mixture gradually to butter and sugar mixture in roughly three batches. If your dough seems too crumbly, add another tablespoon of cold water to the batter.
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Mix in chopped nuts by hand.
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Cover and chill dough until cool but not hard, about 15 minutes.
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Roll dough into 1-inch balls with your hands and place on a parchment-lined or un-greased cookie sheet.
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Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies just start to turn golden brown on top—they should also be golden on the bottoms.
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Leave cookies on baking sheet until firm and cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
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Pour some powdered sugar into a bowl (about half a cup) and whisk in cinnamon if using. Roll each cookie in the powdered sugar until evenly coated. Roll a second time if needed.
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Cool on a wire rack and try not to eat them all at once.
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