Authentic Mexican Wedding Cookies: A Step-By-Step Recipe Guide

Mexican wedding cookies are a delightful treat that can be enjoyed at weddings and other celebrations or as a sweet snack whenever you're craving something sugary. This guide will teach you how to make these mouth-watering cookies, which are also known as snowballs, Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cakes, polvorones, and more. These cookies are tiny, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth good. They are often made with flour, butter, finely chopped nuts, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract, resulting in a rich, nutty flavour and a delicate texture.

Rolling the dough into balls

First, ensure that your dough is the correct consistency. If it seems too soft, chill it in the refrigerator for a while until it firms up. The ideal dough should be soft but not sticky, and it should hold its shape when rolled into balls. If your dough is crumbly and dry, try adding a small amount of liquid, such as water or milk, to help it come together.

Next, use a cookie scoop or a spoon to portion out the dough into equal-sized pieces. A standard size is around 1 tablespoon of dough, which will yield about 40 cookies. You can adjust the size according to your preference.

Now, it's time to roll the dough into balls! Use your hands to gently shape each portion of dough into a smooth, round ball. Try to get them as round and uniform as possible. If the dough is sticking to your hands, moisten your hands slightly or chill the dough again before continuing. Place the shaped dough balls onto a parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

At this point, you can choose to chill the shaped dough balls in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to help them firm up before baking. This step is especially helpful if your kitchen is warm or if your dough is still a bit soft.

Once you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to between 350°F and 400°F. The higher temperature will result in a shorter baking time of around 10-12 minutes, while a lower temperature of 350°F will require a longer baking time of 13-16 minutes or even up to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on your cookies to ensure they don't overbake. You'll know they're done when they are just set and lightly golden.

Finally, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool slightly before rolling them in powdered sugar for that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture. Enjoy your delicious Mexican wedding cookies!

Baking the cookies

Once you've prepared your dough, it's time to bake your Mexican Wedding Cookies.

First, preheat your oven to between 325°F and 400°F. While that's heating up, you can shape your dough into balls. They should be around 1-inch in diameter, and you can use a cookie scoop to help with portioning. If your dough is too sticky to work with, chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm it up.

Place your dough balls on a parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each one. Bake for 10-20 minutes, depending on your oven temperature. You'll know they're done when they're just set, or just turning light golden-brown.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool slightly. While they're still warm, roll them in a bowl of powdered sugar, a few at a time, until evenly coated. If you like, you can roll them in the sugar a second time once they've cooled to room temperature.

And that's it! Your Mexican Wedding Cookies are now ready to enjoy.

Coating the cookies in sugar

To coat the cookies in sugar, first make sure you have prepared a bowl of powdered sugar. You will need about a cup of powdered sugar for coating. Then, take your warm, freshly baked cookies and roll them, a few at a time, in the bowl of sugar. Make sure each cookie is evenly coated before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, you have the option to roll them in the powdered sugar for a second time. This step is not necessary, but it will give the cookies an extra sweet coating. If you choose to do this, simply repeat the rolling process, using the same bowl of powdered sugar.

Some people prefer to place the cookies in a plastic bag with the powdered sugar and shake to coat. However, this method can cause the cookies to break apart, so it is recommended to roll them gently in a bowl to avoid any mess or breakage.

The sugar coating is what gives Mexican wedding cookies their delicate, buttery texture, so it is an important step in the baking process. By following these simple instructions, you will have delicious, sugar-coated Mexican wedding cookies!

Chilling the dough

When to Chill the Dough

Benefits of Chilling the Dough

• Improved flavour: Chilling allows the ingredients' flavours to develop and intensify, similar to marinating meat. The enzymes in the flour and egg yolk break down the carbohydrates into their component sugars, enhancing the sweetness and flavour of the cookies.
• Reduced spread: By chilling the dough, the fat solidifies, and the sugar absorbs more liquid. This results in cookies that spread less during baking and have a thicker, chewier texture.
• Concentrated flavour: As the dough chills, it gradually dries out, concentrating the flavours of all the ingredients. This results in cookies with a more intense, caramelized butterscotch flavour.

Chilling Methods

There are two methods for chilling the dough:

• Chill the entire mass of dough: Place the dough in an airtight container and chill for 24 to 48 hours. After chilling, let the dough come to room temperature until it's malleable enough to scoop. This method helps to intensify the flavours and allows for longer storage without drying out.
• Chill pre-portioned dough balls: Scoop the dough into balls and place them in a single layer in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. This method is more convenient as you can bake the cookies directly from the fridge without waiting for the dough to come to room temperature. However, the dough balls may dry out faster, so it's best not to chill them for longer than 72 hours.

Shaping the cookies

Once your dough is ready, form it into balls. Most recipes suggest making them about 1 inch in diameter, but some suggest making them slightly larger or smaller, so feel free to experiment to find the size you like best. You can use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough, and then roll each scoop into a ball with your hands. Get them as smooth and round as possible. If the dough is sticking to your hands, you can try moistening your hands or chilling the dough a little longer.

Place the balls of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Make sure to space them slightly apart, as they will spread out a bit while baking.

Bake the cookies until they are just set and very lightly browned. The exact baking time will depend on the size of your cookies, but it usually ranges from 10 to 20 minutes.

Once the cookies are baked, let them cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before rolling them in powdered sugar. This will help the sugar stick to the cookies and give them a sweet, melt-in-your-mouth coating. You can roll them in the sugar a second time once they have cooled completely for an extra sweet touch.

And that's it! You now have a batch of delicious Mexican wedding cookies to enjoy or share with others.

Frequently asked questions