Mexican wedding cookies are as well traveled as Carmen Sandiego. In some circles, these little treats are known as "Russian tea cakes," while in other places, they masquerade as "Danish wedding cookies." Where I grew up, in Kentucky, they're called "snowballs," but down in Florida, they're "butterballs" instead. Food historians say this culinary enigma descends from Spanish polvorónes, but the inclusion of pecans hints at a stopover in Texas.Regardless of their true pedigree, Mexican wedding cookies have an unusually delicate consistency, one that virtually melts on the tongue, along with a strong, pecan-forward flavor. Powdered sugar gives the dough an especially light texture without the need for any creaming.Due to their simplicity, great Mexican wedding cookies hinge on the quality of the ingredients, and with two strategic upgrades, they can be absolutely phenomenal. The tricks? Fresh pecans and organic powdered sugar.
Notes
- Wild pecans are super sweet and buttery even when raw. For most folks, it's probably easier to order fresh pecans online (I recommend The Pecan Shop, out of Texas). If that's not doable, it's worth making sure the bag of pecans you buy at the supermarket are as fresh as possible. Check that the pecans look nice and plump, and try to avoid those that look shriveled.
- Organic powdered sugar starts with raw cane sugar, which retains a portion of its natural molasses content. That gives it a rich and butterscotch-y flavor, improving almost any recipe that relies heavily on powdered sugar.
- Both ingredients will benefit from a few minutes in the oven, which crisps up the pecans and lightly toasts the sugar for enhanced flavor. Make sure to give the pecans and powdered sugar time to cool, or else the residual warmth can soften the butter and turn the dough into a sticky mess.
- Since the powdered sugar is absorbed by the dough as it bakes, the cookies will have a sweet but rather rustic-looking exterior. For that reason, I like to finish them with a dusting of powdered sugar for show. If this is done while the cookies are still hot from the oven, steam will partially dissolve the powdered sugar, helping it to stick. That means you can inhale these meltingly tender pecan shortbreads without inhaling the sugar itself.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 ounces raw pecan halves - ½ cup; 55g
- 1 ½ ounces organic powdered sugar - ⅓ cup; 40g
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour - ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon; 110g
- 4 ounces cold unsalted butter - 1 stick; 110g, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 5g
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - 1g, for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
To Finish:
- 2 ounces powdered sugar - ½ cup; 55g, divided
Instructions
For the Dough:
- Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Combine the pecans and powdered sugar in a 10-inch stainless steel skillet and toast them in the oven until fragrant but not deeply browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
- When the pecans and sugar have cooled to room temperature, combine with flour, cold butter, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. (Save the skillet for step 2.)
- Pulse until the pecan pieces disappear, then continue pulsing to form a stiff dough.
To Finish:
- Sprinkle about half of the remaining powdered sugar into the skillet.
- Divide the dough into 20 half-ounce portions (I use a #60 scoop).
- Tumble each piece in the powdered sugar until fully coated and roll into a ball.
- When all of the pieces have been rounded up, shake the skillet so the cookie dough rolls around, collecting more sugar.
- Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined half sheet pan and bake until puffed and firm, about 18 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature directly on the sheet pan and sift the remaining powdered sugar on top.
