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    Home > Recipes > Cookies

    December 14, 2020

    Mexican Wedding Cookies

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    They go by many names - Mexican Wedding Cookies, Snowballs, Russian Tea Cakes, and even Butterballs. You and I can debate their origin till we are blue in the face, but this much remains true: they are dang delicious. 

    A Christmas staple, Mexican wedding cookies are a perfect addition to holiday gift packages or your cookie platters. They have a generous shelf life (read: last all season) and are loaded with tender, crumbly, almost shortbread like texture. 

    And because they are dusted with a blizzard of icing sugar (hence the name snowballs), they are pretty as a picture of a round, white cumulus cloud. 

    Mexican Wedding Cookies | Easy eggless Holiday cookie recipe

    How to make Mexican wedding cookies?

    The cookies don’t use eggs to bind the dough. Hence butter comes in as a binding factor. I added a small splash of milk too. That’s what gives them the melt-in-your-mouth and delicate consistency, and not a chewy feel.

    Traditionally, the recipe has pecans, but I didn’t have access to them, so I added a Tasha Twist and used walnuts. But no matter which nuts you choose; the cookies are still easy to make.

    • Begin by grinding walnuts and icing sugar into a fine powder in your processor. 
    • Separately, beat butter till it’s fluffy. 
    • To the butter, add vanilla extract and the walnut-sugar powder.
    • In the end, mix in the flour and combine to form the dough. Add a tablespoon or two of milk if the dough seems too dry.

    Another Tasha Twist to the recipe was going half and half – part all-purpose flour and part quinoa flour. But if you rather stick to 100% all-purpose flour, that’s fine too.

    Mexican Wedding Cookies | Easy eggless Holiday cookie recipe

    Baking the Mexican wedding cookies

    If your dough feels too soft or sticky because the butter is almost melting, please refrigerate it. 

    • Once the dough is firm enough to handle, form balls.
    • Bake them for 17 to 18 minutes until they are golden brown. 
    • Let them cool for a few minutes, and then roll them in icing sugar.

    Quick note:

    The cookies may absorb the icing sugar. If that’s the case, give them another roll in the powdered sugar. 

    The good thing is the dough is barely sweetened, so the double dusting of icing sugar balances the taste.  

    Tips for cookie recipe:

    These cookies are light and don’t sit heavy because of their buttery texture. The trick to achieving it is keeping the butter slightly softened. It can’t be melted or absolutely chilled. 

    Room temperature butter also prevents the cookies from spreading while they bake. It helps the cookies hold the shape. 

    If you’re baking where the weather is still hot, pop the butter, the dough, and if needed, the shaped balls in the fridge for a few minutes. 

    Mexican Wedding Cookies | Easy eggless Holiday cookie recipe

    Variations of wedding cookies

    Something that has so many different names is bound to have endless versions. I (almost) stuck to the original recipe and didn’t add any spices, but you can. 

    Nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom all bring warmth to the cookies that’s much needed and appreciated in December.

    Add a pinch of cinnamon, and you have Danish wedding cookies. Or you can go completely festive and use all the gingerbread spices.

    Can I use other nuts for Mexican wedding cookies?

    As I said, pecans were used for the real deal. But walnuts and almonds work equally well. 

    How to make gluten-free wedding cookies?

    I haven’t tried them with buckwheat flour, but it hasn’t failed me in terms of texture and shape till now. Go ahead and try the cookies with it to make them gluten-free. 

    Just make sure you increase the amount of butter used, as buckwheat flour absorbs more moisture. You can even add a couple of teaspoons of milk to get the right consistency. 

    Can I make vegan snowball cookies?

    I’m not sure if coconut oil will do the trick here, but you can use plant-based butter to make vegan Mexican wedding cookies. 

    Mexican Wedding Cookies | Easy eggless Holiday cookie recipe

    Storing the Mexican wedding cookies

    Who says you have to go fancy to feel Christmassy?

    The Mexican wedding cookies are the simplest of all. Flour, butter, sugar, and nuts are all it takes to make these buttery snowballs. And even with such few ingredients, they’re utterly addictive.

    Enjoy them with tea, milk, or a mug of hot cocoa!

    They keep very well, so you can store them in an airtight container for a long time. Even on day 12 (if your cookies last that long), the nuttiness will come through as much as on day 1.

    Mexican Wedding Cookies | Easy eggless Holiday cookie recipe

    I’d love to hear from you! Please tag me on Instagram @tashasartisanfoods, using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods. You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST for more fabulous recipes! Do subscribe to Tasha’s Artisan Foods so you’ll never miss a recipe!

    Mexican Wedding Cookies | Easy eggless Holiday cookie recipe
    Print Recipe

    Mexican Wedding Cookies

    The Mexican wedding cookies are the simplest of all. Flour, butter, sugar, and nuts are all it takes to make these buttery snowballs. And even with such few ingredients, they’re utterly addictive.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time18 mins
    Course: Snack
    Keyword: snowball cookies, wedding cookies
    Servings: 26 Cookies
    Calories:
    Author: Natasha Minocha

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup ( 125 gms) All-purpose flour
    • 1 cup (117 gms) Quinoa flour
    • 1 cup ( 115 gms) Walnuts
    • 2/3 cup ( 65 gms) Icing sugar
    • 3/4 cup ( 150 gms) Butter, room temperature
    • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
    • 2-3 tbsp Milk Optional
    • 1/4 cup Icing sugar, for sprinkling on cookies

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 170C. Line a baking tray with Silpat or parchment paper.
    • Begin by grinding walnuts and icing sugar into a fine powder in your processor.
    • In a large bowl, beat butter till it’s fluffy.
    • Add the vanilla extract and walnut - icing sugar powder.
    • Stir in both the flours. Mix well.
    • You may need to add some milk if the dough seems dryish.
    • If the dough seems too soft, please refrigerate for a few minutes.
      Divide the dough into equal size pieces. Roll into balls.
    • Place on the prepared tray and bake for 17-18 minutes, until light golden brown.
    • Let cool for a few minutes then roll in icing sugar.
    • Store the cooled cookies in an air-tight container. Enjoy!
    Mexican Wedding Cookies | Easy eggless Holiday cookie recipe
    « Classic Hot Chocolate
    Chocolate Ginger Cookies »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Albertina says

      December 23, 2020 at 12:08 pm

      I have never tried any Mexican recipe ever and this is the first time I am thinking to try it. I hope it will be good and everyone will love it. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        December 23, 2020 at 12:35 pm

        This was one of my favorites this year! I hope you and your family will enjoy it as much as we did! Thank you so much! xx

        Reply

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