Best Pecan Shortbread Cookies Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipes

MEXICAN PECAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mash together the flour, butter, pecans, and 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar in a bowl until the mixture is thoroughly combined and forms a soft dough. Pinch off about 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie, and roll into 3/4-inch balls. Place the balls on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden brown but the tops are still pale, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Let the cookies cool completely, then roll in remaining confectioners' sugar.

PECAN SANDIES (MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES/CAKE)

Steps:

• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the water and vanilla.
• Stir in the flour and pecans until well blended.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least four hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 °F.
• Shape the dough into walnut sized balls or crescents. (Crescent shaped are more the traditional Mexican wedding form of these cookies.)
• Place the dough balls or crescents 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden.
• Cool on a baking rack, then roll in the confectioners sugar. I don't roll them when they are warm as they still will soak up the powdered sugar while cool and this way they don't get sticky.

PECAN SHORTBREAD COOKIES (MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES)

Steps:

• Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, orange juice, water, and orange zest; beat until blended. Add flour and pecans and mix with a spoon until blended but crumbly. Cover and place in the refrigerator until chilled, 3 hours to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Scoop up about a golf-ball-size of dough and press together into a ball. Flatten and smooth the edges, making sure the dough is firm and not flaky or crumbly, or else cookies will not rise or expand as they bake. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Sift some confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Drop a cookie into the sugar, shake the bowl, flip the cookie, and agitate again to cover in sugar. Repeat with remaining cookies, adding more sugar as necessary.

PECAN MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl beat butter 30 seconds.
• Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and cinnamon; beat until combined.
• Beat in 2 teaspoons water and vanilla.
• Stir in flour and pecans with a wooden spoon.
• Shape into 1-inch balls.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
• Bake in 325 degree oven 20 minutes or until lightly browned on bottoms.
• Transfer to wire rack.
• Cool.
• Place 1 cup of powdered sugar in plastic bag.
• Add cookies few at a time; shake gently to coat.
• I make these 1 month ahead of time and freeze them before their final coat of powdered sugar.
• I thaw them out before sugaring.