The Best Little Cookies From Mexico

These cookies are a Christmas classic here in Texas, and a wedding classic in Mexico! They're Mexican Wedding Cookies! Small, yummy little shortbread cookies with little bites of pecans perfectly distributed throughout. They're the perfect size, and the recipe couldn't be easier. 

This is one of those cookies that is just too good to mess with. The traditional recipe is great without anything added to it. That being said, I added cinnamon! I didn't have any Mexican vanilla left, and a touch of cinnamon will give you that richer vanilla flavor you will find in traditional Mexican Wedding Cookies. If anything, the cinnamon only made that traditional flavor even better! As a matter of fact,  these cookies are my Nanny's(Grandma's) favorite, and I'll be bringing them by her house tomorrow, we'll see if she tastes a difference.

The thing about these cookies that is the most important is that when you coat them with powdered sugar, you don't do it once but TWICE! Let the cookies cool after baking for about 5 minutes, and roll them in the powdered sugar while the cookies are still warm. Then, let them cool completely. By doing this, the powdered sugar will become moistened by the steam that is leaving the cookies, giving you a heavy coating of powdered sugar. Once they cool completely, roll them in the sugar again, and this time you will get that perfectly powdered look that is just perfect for Christmas. 

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. 
2. Add in half of flour, mix well. Add in pecans and the rest of the flour until evenly combined. 
3. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms start to brown.
4. Wait 5 minutes, then gently roll the cookies in powdered sugar. Transfer to another plate to let them cool completely. 
5. Once cooled, roll them in powdered sugar one final time. Enjoy!

What your cookies will look like after the first dusting of powdered sugar, slightly pastey....

After second coating, they look like perfect little snowballs!

Put them in an adorable Christmas gift box and share them!