Mexican Wedding Cookies

(from Lucianolinda’s recipe box)

Source: American's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Categories: cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. shelled pecans or walnuts
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup superfine sugar (see note)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 4 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Finely grind half the nuts in a food processor to the texture of cornmeal. Transfer to a medium bowl.
  3. Coarsely chop the remaining nuts. Add the chopped nuts to the ground nuts. Stir in the flour and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and superfine sugar with a electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
  5. On low speed, slowly add the nut-flour- mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat until dough is cohesive.
  6. (The dough can be tightly wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days; let soften at room temperature, then portion and bake as directed.)
  7. Working with 1 Tablespoon of dough at a time, roll dough into ball and place balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart.
  8. Bake until pale gold and bottoms are just beginning to brown, about 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
  10. Once completely cool, roll the cookies, 3 or 4 at a time, in the confectioners’ sugar to coat. Just before serving, gently re-roll the cookies in additional confectioners’ sugar and shake off excess.

  11. makes about 4 dozen cookies

  12. Note: if you can’t find superfine sugar, whirl 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds, then measure out 1/3 cup.

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