This one, and it’s infinite variations, is a perennial holiday favorite. Last year, I posted a recipe for Russian Tea Cakes which, to be honest, is roughly the same recipe but with pecans instead of walnuts. Use almonds and shape them into crecents and you’ve got Viennese Horns (wait ’til next year.) But this one, these Mexican Wedding Cookies, are packed with walnuts, have a little bit of cinnamon and that same dunk into powdered sugar while warm for a light, fluffy coating.
The best thing about these cookies is their delicate crumbly texture. They melt in your mouth and are utterly irresistible. You can’t seem to stop at one and the powdered sugar is a dead giveaway. It’s hard to hide the shower of sugar down your shirtfront. The more you know.
STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP. Probably more than any other cookie in this years lineup, this is one that everyone will go for first. The powdered sugar coating is what attracts first, then that crumbly texture locks them in forever. Plus, they look like snowballs. Can you get much more seasonal than that?
2016 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies lineup: Butter Rum Bars, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Coconut Lime Sticks, Cranberry Pistacho Coins, Dark Chocolate Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Hazelnut Buttons, Jam Thumbprints, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Pecan Triangles, Peppermint Crisps, Rosemary Apricot Shortbread, Russian Tea Cakes
2017 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies lineup to date:
Basic Butter Cookie Dough + planning tips
Day 1 – Cream Cheese Wreaths
Day 2 – Raspberry Linzer Bars
Day 3 – Lemon Poppyseed Buttons
Day 4 – Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers
MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES
Basic butter cookie dough – recipe here
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2-3 sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a standing mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter cookie dough, smaller measure of powdered sugar, chopped walnuts, baking powder and cornstarch on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
- Roll 1 Tablespoons of the dough into balls and place 1” apart on the prepared sheet pans. (At this point, you can freeze the cookie balls up to 3 months. Bake directly from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the baking time.)
- Bake 10-12 minutes until firm and just beginning to brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet pans for 1-2 minutes.
- Put the larger measure of powdered sugar in a medium bowl and while the cookies are still warm, drop 6 at a time in the powdered sugar, using a form to gently turn the cookies to fully coat. Take care, the cookies can be quite delicate.
- Transfer to parchment lined sheet pans to cool completely.
STRESSCAKE 
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