Mexican Wedding Cookies

The cookies that are served at most weddings and celebrations are known in Mexico as biscochitos. The basic ingredients are nearly identical to Russian teacakes or shortbread: ground nuts, flour, butter, sugar. In Mexico they are rolled into balls or formed into crescent shapes and covered with confectioner’s sugar.

Our friend Maria offers us an old family favorite which she has been baking for the holidays as long as she can remember. The tradition started with her great grandmother teaching her grandmother and now Maria teaching her grandchildren  Maria says “for a special touch, sprinkle with blue and white sanding sugar to make these classic holiday cookies sparkle like freshly fallen snowflakes”

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups flour

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

1/4 cup mix of light blue and white sanding sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325° Combine flour, cinnamon and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter until pale yellow and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined. Add flour gradually until incorporated. Add the pecans and mix until the dough is studded throughout.

Working with 2 teaspoonfuls (or a small cookie scoop) of dough at a time, roll it into a ball and place on a cookie sheet. Continue with remaining dough. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, spread remaining powdered sugar on a shallow plate. Roll the warm cookies into the powdered sugar and let cool. Set the powdered sugar aside. On a second plate spread the sanding sugar mix. Roll cooled cookies in powdered sugar again, followed by a roll in the sanding sugar. Transfer to a tray and repeat with remaining cookies.