Mexican Wedding Cookies

How did Mexican Wedding Cookies get their name?The beginnings of the Mexican wedding cake cookie are far removed from Mexico. Food historians believe that it has its origins in medieval Arab cookery; the Middle East has a long tradition of rich special-occasion pastries using butter, honey, sugar, spices and nuts.

INGREDIENTS

For the cookie dough:

• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

To roll the cookies:

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. In a small bowl combine flour, finely chopped pecans, and salt. 
2. In the bowl of your mixer combine butter and sugar, creaming them together on low speed until smooth.
3. Continue mixing the dough as you add the vanilla.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar ½ cup at a time continuing to mix until fully incorporated.
5. Form the cookie dough into balls using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each.
6. Place them on a lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
7. Bake in 325 degree F oven for 18-20 minutes. The cookie should be pale but the bottom should be beginning to brown.
8. Move cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before gently tossing each one in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat it completely.

tips:

You can make this cookie without nuts or a different nut.

Instead of powdered sugar -roll in Mexican cinnamon and sugar .