Wedding Cookies
Hello my friends,
Mexican Wedding Cookies, Vanilla Snowballs, Russian Teacakes, just plain Wedding Cookies... these tender, crumbly cookies, full of chopped pecans and covered with a blizzard of confectioners' sugar, go by many names. But one thing is constant: they melt-in-your-mouth texture and distinctive, attractive appearance: round and white that help prepare you for Valentine's Day.
I got this recipe from Michelle Higgins, a colleague in our Consulate. She is the Director of Cultural Affairs, and besides her being a culture lover, she is known as a great cook...
The first time I happened to taste these delicious cookies was at a reception which Michelle prepared for her husband (Joseph Higgins) for his Master’s Recital as a conductor, at the Northwestern Bienen School of Music.
Michelle made a variety of cookies and I might publish more recipes later with her permission.
Anyway, immediately they were called the “Melting Moments"... so I thought I'd share this recipe with you.
You may cut the quantity of ingredients in half for a smaller amount of cookies.
1 lb Unsalted butter (soft)
1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar (Sifted) + more for dusting, about 1 cup
4 cups chopped Pecans
4 1/2 – 5 cups All-Purpose Flour (Sifted)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
Cream the butter with the 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Add the vanilla extract.
Add the flour (1 cup at a time)
Add the pecans
Form them into small cookies (teaspoon- size rounds)
Bake at 350 F until lightly brown (about 12-15 minutes) on ungreased cookie sheets. Watch closely so they don’t burn.
Put the additional powdered sugar in a large dish. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, roll them in the powdered sugar while the cookies are still hot. Be careful because the cookies are extremely hot and fragile. Place cookies on a cooling rack.
Once cookies have cooled completely, roll them in powdered sugar again.
Thank you Michelle!
* Michelle coordinates and promotes Israeli cultural events in the fields of music, dance, theater, literature, fine art, film, and culinary arts. The cultural department at the consulate is the central hub for all Israeli cultural events in the Midwest. Sign up for the bi-monthly cultural newsletter for more information about these events happening in your region! She also loves to give away tickets… (Culture@chicago.mfa.gov.il)