Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Hello everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I've got a recipe that EVERYONE already knows. No use in that, is there?

 
But still. I love these cookies. And I've found that although everyone knows them, they're not always called by the same name. So... Mexican wedding cookies, or snowballs, or pfeffernussen, or Russian teacakes, they're all delicious. And simple. And I get to bring Edna out of her corner to play.
First, we grate the walnuts. Look at these boys. They love the power tools. Hate the noise. Obviously my little chopper sounds a bit louder than "Eggna", which is what they both call her.
And this is my friend, Jackie. her mom is my co-teacher at our church. (Thank goodness for Patty. On those days she's gone, the kids almost eat me alive.)
 
Anyway, Jackie came for a playdate one day. Here she is meeting Edna. Jackie is a born artist and writer. A few years ago, I got to read a story she wrote about a day in the third grade. It had so much detail I could have SWORN I was eating a chili dog in the cafeteria. I used some of her cafeteria details in my book 'Season of Joy'. And I named my heroine Calista's ultra-capable personal assistant after Jackie. If you read it carefully, you can SEE JACKIE.
 
And then she read my book and told me she liked it.  *swoon* We have a mutal admiration society going...
 
Anyway, back to cooking!

  

The recipe is simplicity itself. 1 cup walnuts, chopped. 1tsp vanilla. 1 cup butter. 6 TBS powdered sugar. 2 cups flour. All together. Like so.
The dough looks strangely crumbly, but squeeze it into small balls, about one inch or a bit larger. My kids always complain about how small they are, so I've learned to make them about 1.5 inches. Nice cookie size.

350F on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12 minutes. I was making these one night when one of my husband's relatives popped over. She said you shouldn't roll them in the powdered sugar until they're cool. But I learned to roll them once when they're hot, and once when they're cool. It makes a nice layer of powdered sugar.


Oooo, pretty. I got these dishes at a junk shop when it was 'free glasswares' day. Can you believe it? Of course, they were dirty and dusty, but look how clean and lovely they are now? Edna welcomed them to the kitchen with a grand whirring of the beaters. The more the merrier!

And a sweet Fireking mug from the same batch of 'junk' We just don't ever use that word, here. It's a fine line between junk and treasure. Sometimes all you need is a little soap and water... and Russian Teacakes.

So, pull up a chair and share some stories. You can make them up, we don't care. In fact, we prefer that kind. Especially the ones about 3rd grade cafeteria chili dogs.
Until next time!

20 comments:

  1. We LOVE these in our house, Virginia. We make so many that I've begun to experiment. Let me tell you, adding cinnamon and mini chocolate chips tastes really REALLY good.

    We made a vegan version for my vegan girl. Well 2 versions - one substituted coconut oil for butter. Good but very coconuty tasting. The other used a vegan butter substitute and tasted like the original.

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  2. That's great because I know some vegans and I never knew exactly how to sub the butter. (You know, buying the vegan substitute of a pound of butter and then it turns out badly?? Nooooooo.)

    I loooooove cinnamon! I'll definitely try that!

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  3. I can say they were great. Jackie wanted to leave a few for her Dad but... somewhere some how they just went missing. Really couldn't say where or how but I will never tell. Very good and glad that I was not there while you were making thema as there wouldn't have been enough for the kids:0)

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  4. heehee! She did a great job of keeping them occupied as the cookeis came out of the oven. Otherwise they would have been eaten as quickly as they were heing cooked!

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  5. Hmmm, Almond cake or Mexican wedding cookies... too close to call! A hint about these cookies--don't over-mix. I was admiring a nephew while mixing the last batch before Christmas and let the mixer go on and on (oops!). The result was a sticky paste that became cookie balls that detonated into powder when a slight breeze hit them. Made great cereal, but not cookies! I made some great lemon pound cake this week but now am craving these delectable little cookies--I be right down...

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  6. I am going to try these with coconut flour. OH, or almond flour.

    I live for kids like Jackie. You are very blessed to have her in your life. Elementary school writers are some of my favorite people.

    Oh, and I live for Wednesdays too. ;-)

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    1. What is so funny about kids that age- they don't see how very amazing they are.

      They are perfection. There is nothing better than a 5th grade girl. NOTHING.

      All imagination and emotion and ideas and energy and ready to take on the world.

      A gift to be cherished!

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  7. Lemon pound cake! Oooooh, I want some! And if it was Tristan you were admiring, you are forgiven. That baby is magic. You cannot pay attention to anything but that child when he is within 50 feet.

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    1. Hahahaha! Yup it was Tristan :) Trade you lemon pound cake for any of your amazing goodies!!! Or that gorgeous red bowl....
      Second thought, I will just bring you pound cake and get my snuggle time in--I love your house!

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    2. Now, that's why you're such a gift yourself.

      Where I'm saying, 'GERROOOOFFFF ME! I need space!'

      You're saying, 'Come on in, little ones and pick a spot. I have lots of snuggles.'

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  8. I'm on crazy slow borrowed computer, but I had to stop by and say I love youse guys.... and these recipes even though I've been off-line waiting for my computer (used) to be fixed and my computer (new) to get here from Amazon.

    This shows that it's silly not to BUY INSTANTLY when your back-up laptop finally dies.

    Oops.

    I must try these. I made a similar recipe years ago and had no clue what it was via memory. Mare, I'd be so happy if this was the recipe for those buttery-melt-in-your-mouth walnut cookies I loved! They look the same, but I had no idea what they were, they were on a tray someone brought to a church function. I'm so psyched!!!

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    1. Oh, good! It would be wonderful if this recipe has served some good beyond EXPANDING MY BEHIND.

      And yes, they are so soft, just perfect tender cookies!

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  9. I love these cookies. One of my faves. Although I usually use pecans. They'd be my first choice, walnuts second. My daughter made some over Christmas with hazelnuts. Those were yummy too. Oh, heck...butter, nuts, sugar on the outside...what's not to like?

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    1. You know, I think my mom used pecans when I was little and I never made them until I found out you could sub the walnuts. Since we always have walnuts, I use them that way now.

      Pecans are delish. I would use them always, but they just don't grow abundantly over here!

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  10. Am I the only one who has never made these? They're on the "to-do" list now :)

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    1. Oh, yaya! Jan makes me feel better for being repetitive!!

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  11. *gasp* We call these cookies "Russian Tea Cakes" and they are so melt-in-your-mouth good. *sigh* I actually prefer them without the nuts, but they are good either way.

    Whitney

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    1. Without the nuts? Ohhhh, YUM. Not even a bit of protein to distract from the butter and sugar and flour!

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  12. I've just heard of them called wedding cookies. I love these but have never made them. Thanks for the recipe!

    LOVE the cute photos of kiddies! And how fun to find out where Jackie in the story came from. :)

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    1. I wonder why they're wedding cookies?? Hubby doesn't know...

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