Wedding Cookies don’t have to be store bought. No machines? No problem. It’s easy to make this cookie recipe even without equipment if you really want them- and I’ll show you how. Key flavors: Mexican vanilla and chopped walnuts of ya choice, for a mighty delicious cafecito and coo-kie!
Perfect on days when you’re planning hanging with your people, cozy in a cabin, or just at home on a cold night. The dough can be made ahead and stored for later-bake + holidays, too.
Allergen notice: This cookie contains nuts.
What makes this recipe so good
The Mexican vanilla you can never use up fast enough. This is a great way to use it up for a once in while sweet treat. Learn to make your own wedding cookies that taste 100% better than buying from a major store.
Made with real butter so you never have to eat the ones made from oil again. And the nuts, chopped chunks! Not tiny pieces hardly spotted in store versions.
Why are the Wedding cookies sliced and not bolitas (balls)
Rolled bites I’d definitely confirm are the traditional form. However, year-after-year of making them, I find making chorizo-links out of the cookie dough is so much better/easier when considering storage, make ahead-dough, and fun to plate, too!
Erika’s Favorite Shape
Once I roll them, I square the dough up. It’s very easy to do. I share in the step-by-step instructions below.
There is no expectation from me on which way you decide to shape the wedding cookie. Roll dough into balls (snowballs) or hook them up as I do.
They’re gonna taste outstanding either way!
Ingredients
Grocery Quick List: flour, butter, powdered sugar, mexican vanilla, salt, walnuts.
Ingredient Notes / Variations
- All Purpose Flour – The flour used for a great tasting cookie really doesn’t rely on the brand you use. Use the flour you use normally and have access to.
- DO Measure flour precisely.
- A gluten-free alternative flour can be used to make the cookies as well.
- When I make the dough, I usually bake half and refrigerate the rest.
- Powdered Sugar – finally, a way to use up that sugary-sweet-snow.
- Salted Butter – I always use salted butter but unsalted butter is ok too. If you end up using unsalted, just add a pinch of salt to the flour when combining.
- Softened butter. Pull it out ahead of making for a couple hours.
- Mexican Vanilla – This is my lick for desserts, get you some of this Mexican vanilla! The flavor of this vanilla is what makes these cookies outstanding because it’s just spicy-woodsy depth and brings all the delicious cookie bites forward.
- It’s not uncommon to use pure orange extract OR almond flavoring instead of vanilla if those are your go-to flavors in baking.
- Wedding cookies are flavor versatile BUT traditional flavor includes vanilla.
- Use this type of vanilla for superb tasting choco-chip cookies too, it’s what I use to make them.
- Walnuts (nuez in spanish) – I always use Walnuts or Pecans for Mexican wedding cookies. When I was a kid we’d use pine nuts because we always had them available and used frequently, not no more though! Why? Because piñones (pine nuts) today are pricey-pricey. So I’m using them for pesto and rich salsa macha varieties instead. 🙂
- Rough chopping is preferred for rich nutty flavor.
- Walnuts and pecans are easy to cut through even from refrigerated made ahead-dough.
- FYI: Italian wedding cookies look identical and the nuts used in them are almonds.
- DO try this recipe with pine nuts one day. You’re gonna enjoy sampling it!
- Pinos FYI: on 3/8, I checked the latest price, 2.98 per oz.
Method Preview: If you’re using a food processor, you’ll follow the same steps.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make the cookies by hand
Cream the butter and powedered sugar first.
Followed by the Vanilla extract
A printer-friendly recipe card with instructions is available at the bottom of this post.
Start mixing in half of the flour to start making the cookie dough.
Then add the other cup of flour that remains while melding in gently with hand.
This photo below shows what the dough will look like before adding the chopped nuts.
Next, split the dough in two equal pieces and mold them to make links. Wrap in plastic to mold into shape, (or for storing in the refrigerator).
Me cutting them is the only step not entirely hand-made. A note for my purist, I still got all the love in these cookies! 🙂
To the left is before oven, and to the right the bottoms will appear this way, just slightly tostado!
Pro Tip: from my experience, the powdered sugar stays on the cookies for longer. Using my cut and bake method.
Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before coating with a round of powdered sugar. If you don’t allow cool time they may brake, and we don’t want that for you.
Coat a second time after for more lovely, fun, wedding cookies.
All coated, and ready to enjoy with your favorite warm cup.
Tell a friend!
Ways To Spice It Up
Additional spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise for deeper flavor. A little spice goes a long way in baking.
Only try this if you are familiar with each spice profile, this is your heads up.
Sweet coconut flakes are also a fun play for additional sweetness and twist to this tea / coffee cookie recipe.
Foods To Eat With Wedding Cookies
A few ideas to enjoy with fresh butter-rich walnut cookies.
Perfect with morning tea or coffee, and any style lunch or dinner. It’s really lovely cookie with charcuterie platter, a dessert in itself, or drizzle of silky caramel.
Fresh foods work too. Savory and crunchy vegetables alongside these cookies are awesome to satisfy any sweet tooth cravings.
Pro Tips / Receta Notes
Recipe yield: 32 rich butter-nut wedding cookies.
Servings: 16 – 2 cookies per person.
Storage: These cookies will last 7-10 days. Keep them in moisture free food packing for best flavor.
Freezing: The dough can be frozen. Technically the made cookies can be frozen too but the texture of powdered sugar over the cookie will definitely lose its powdery-coated appearance and be a bit more white-translucent. We’re always going to keep it real with you.
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Handmade Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe
DESCRIPTION
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Dinner fork (if making by hand method)
- 1 Knife for chopping walnuts
- Plastic wrap
- Measuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter salado or unsalted pure butter is rich and preferential
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups flour all purpose
- 1 tbsp Mexican Vanilla
- 1 cup walnuts
Cookie Coating
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time.
Instructions
To make the wedding cookies by hand
- Cream the softened butter with the back of a fork for about 1 minute.
- Add only half of the powdered sugar, and work it into the butter, followed by remaining half and mix another minute.
- Add Mexican Vanilla to the butter mixture and stir it it. You will see the color of the butter brown up with the addition of vanilla. (about 30 seconds only.)
- Add flour to the butter bowl, 1 cup at a time. Mix using the same fork and repeat with remaining cup of flour. (about 3 minutes.)
- for the final mixing step: Pick a hand to mix in the walnuts and form the dough in middle of mixing bowl.
- cover dough with plastic wrap, and split into two equal pieces to form logs or refrigerate as a ball to cool if forming balls.
- bake in a preheated oven at 350 degees for 14-22 minutes.
Notes
- Recipe yield: about 32 Mexican Wedding Cookies.
- Storage: once completely cool place these cookies in a food safe storage with airtight lid. These cookies will last up to 5-days on the counter or up to 7 in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy this rich cookie in moderation and share with all your people.
For the full post with tips, variations, and other useful information visit LatinasQueComen.com and search for Mexican Wedding Cookies. Thank you for your support and shares!
Nutrition
Equipment
- Bowl
- Fork
- Knife
- Plastic wrap
- Baking sheet
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