Mexican Wedding Cake Cookie Recipe

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This 4-step Mexican wedding cake cookie recipe is super easy to whip up with a handful of ingredients and is full of buttery, cinnamon, and vanilla flavors.

These snowball cookies are so pretty laid out on a table or wrapped up as a little party favor – you’ll love making these soft and “light as a feather” treats.

What gives these cookies their dreamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture is their high butter content and that they are made with powdered sugar, kind of like shortbread. This recipe is also egg-free which is what gives the cookie a crumbly finish.

I just love the idea of serving these at a Mother’s Day brunch – their homemade and artisanal look will fit right in with treats for mom! Wrap them up and give them to your mom as a gift at your Mother-Daughter Garden Party. SO special.

Don’t miss out on these free printable Mother’s Day cards and these super sweet Mother’s Day printable coupons. Both are great ways to celebrate Mom.

And if you are planning a garden party setup – don’t miss these gorgeous spring lfower lollipops.

Also, these cookies would be delicious to serve at a Cinco de Mayo party! If you need inspiration for a Mexican-themed party, look no further.

Contents

Reasons To Love This Mexican Wedding Cake Cookie Recipe

Rich and buttery flavor: These cookies are made with plenty of butter and powdered sugar, giving them a rich and indulgent flavor that is hard to resist.
Soft and crumbly texture: Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies have a soft and crumbly texture that melts in your mouth, making them a perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.
Easy to make: The recipe for Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies is relatively simple and requires only a few ingredients, making them an easy and fuss-free dessert to bake.
Versatile: These cookies can be served on their own as a sweet treat or used as a base for other desserts, such as trifles or ice cream sundaes.
Great for special occasions: Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies are often served at weddings and other special occasions, making them a festive and celebratory treat.
Nostalgic appeal: For many people, Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies are a beloved childhood treat that brings back happy memories of family gatherings and holidays.

Ingredients And Supplies

Butter at room temperature: It is important to use butter that is at room temperature so that it can be easily mixed with the other ingredients. If you forgot to take your butter out of the fridge ahead of time, you can soften it quickly by microwaving it for 5-10 seconds at a time until it’s soft but not melted.
Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is a key ingredient in Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies, giving them their signature texture and sweetness. If you don’t have powdered sugar on hand, you can make your own by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until it becomes powdery.
Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds flavor to the cookies and is a crucial ingredient in the recipe. If you don’t have vanilla extract, you can substitute it with vanilla bean paste or the scraped-out seeds from a vanilla bean.
Cinnamon: Gives a distinctive taste -If you don’t have cinnamon, you can substitute it with other warm spices, such as nutmeg or cardamom.
Lime zest: Adds a bright and fresh flavor to the cookies. If you don’t have lime zest, you can substitute it with lemon zest or orange zest.
Flour: If you are gluten-free, you can substitute it with a gluten-free flour blend.
Chopped walnuts: A common addition to Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies and add a nice crunch to the texture. You can use pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds instead.

How To Make Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies

Step 1: Beat the butter

First, put the room-temperature butter in a mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on a medium speed for about 2 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 cup powdered sugar (save the remaining to toss on the baked cookies).

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients

Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and lime zest. Now add the flour, mixing in about 1/3 at a time. Last, fold in the finely chopped walnuts. You can use a food processor or even just put them in a plastic bag and pound them with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin.

Step 3: Chill the dough

Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. You can preheat the oven to 350 F while it chills.

Step 4: Roll and bake

Roll the dough into balls (about 2 tablespoons) and bake them on a baking sheet for 18-20 minutes, until they brown on the bottom, and just start to brown on the top. Let the warm cookies cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and toss them in a bowl with 1 cup of powdered sugar.

Tips And Substitutions

Chill the dough: Chilling it for at least 30 minutes before baking will help the cookies keep their shape and prevent them from spreading too much in the oven.
Roll the cookies twice: After the cookies have cooled for a few minutes, roll them in powdered sugar again to create a more even coating and a prettier presentation.
Add other flavors: Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies are delicious on their own, but you can also experiment with adding other flavors such as orange zest, almond extract, or cocoa powder.
Substitutions for butter: If you are dairy-free or vegan, you can substitute the butter with vegan butter or coconut oil. Keep in mind that the flavor and texture of the cookies may be slightly different.
Substitutions for nuts: If you have a nut allergy or don’t like nuts, you can omit them from the recipe altogether or substitute them with seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Make them gluten-free: If you are gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free flour blend instead of the all-purpose flour.
Freeze the raw cookie balls or baked cookies if you want to prepare in advance.

What is another name for Mexican wedding cookies?

Polvorones in Mexico or Russian tea cakes in other parts of the world.

Who invented Mexican wedding cookies?

Historians say that there Spanish brought the recipe over to Mexico, from Europe, in the 16th century.

Do they eat Mexican wedding cookies in Mexico?

Yes, they are served at weddings and other special occasions like Christmas.

For more Mexican-themed inspiration posts (and other themes), take a look through our 16 best birthday themes for women in 2023! I adore this 40th Fiesta theme in particular.

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