Mexican Wedding Cookies

These cookies I think that everyone bakes for Christmas one time or another. They

also masquerade under several names like Russian Tea Cakes, Swedish Tea Cakes, Moldy Mice, Snowballs, Butterballs, Pecan Sandies, Pecan Snowballs etc........

They are a melt-in-your-mouth buttery cookie, they became popular in the 1950's......and 1960's. This is a recipe that my Mom and Aunt have been using for years and this was the first cookie that I made by myself if memory serves me right when I was in high school.

Then when I go married this turned out to be my husband's fave cookie, so when I make them for the Holidays I usually triple the recipe. One for him and the rest for gifts to package up.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

(Source; Family)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1/2 up confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup pecans OR walnuts, finely chopped

*Extra Confectioner's sugar for dusting cookies

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

Cream butter and sugar till smooth...........add vanilla and beat till fluffy.

Sift flour, cinnamon (if using) and salt and mix into butter mixture till well combined.

Add the chopped nuts and mix well.

Chill for 20 minutes til a bit firm.

Form dough into walnut size balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet 1 inch apart.

Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes til golden brown (I just keep checking).

While still warm roll the cookies in some confectioner's sugar and put on cookie racks to cool. When cool sift some more confectioner's sugar over cookies.

I give myself a treat and am waiting for a cup of tea to brew.

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RUGELACH

I made three batches of these cookies yesterday.............I think that my husband and daughter while they were cooling managed to eat one batch. :-)
I got this recipe off my friend Linda of http://linda-howtocookawolf.blogspot.com/. She is a fabulous cook and has been making these for years.

She said that this recipe comes from Sarabeth’s restaurant in NYC…she got it in the old Cuisine magazine in the very early 80’s and has been making them ever since. I use to make a Canadian chef's recipe by Bonnie Stern for years, but this year decided to try Linda's and I really liked the dough better.

Sarabeth’s Rugelach

1 cup butter softened

1 8 oz.pkg. cream cheese softened

½ cup + 2 T.sugar divided

½ t.vanilla¼ t.salt

2 cups flour¾ cup finely chopped walnuts

½ cup currants

2 T.cinnamon

½ cup plum preserves

Confectioners sugar

Pre-Heat oven to 325*

Mix Cinnamon with 1/2 cup sugar and set aside.

Cream together butter and cream cheese,add 2 T.sugar,vanilla,salt ,and flour.

Turn out on board and knead quickly until just together and smooth…

Divide into 3 pieces, press each piece into disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or overnight.

Roll disc out into a 10 inch or 12inch circle…don’t worry if the edges are uneven.

Spread 1/3 of the jam, the cinnamon sugar,nuts and currants over dough. Leave a 1 inch border without filling around circle.

You can roll over filling with rolling pin to press into dough.a long sharp knife or bench knife cut into 12 pie shaped pieces.

Roll each piece into a crescent, long end toward the point. Place on a parchment lined (or silpat) baking sheet .

Turn the edges in so it looks like a crescent.

Bake at 325* for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.Cool on rack…dust liberally with powdered sugar..

This is the filling that I used for my Rugelach's as I had two big jars of Apricot jam on hand. this filling I've had for years I found in my Mom's old recipe book binder that she had.

Filling:
1 cup walnuts, finely ground
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup apricot jam
In a bowl, mix the walnuts, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl put the apricot jam and mix well with a spoon just to loosen it.

Ready and baked.........I always put confectioner's sugar [icing sugar] but these were going into the freezer so after for presentation when I take some out to de/frost I will dust them with the confectioner's sugar. But I did sprinkle them with decorator's sugar before baking, which some I will leave just plain as you see them.

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a great day!

Mexican Wedding Cookies OR Russian Teacakes

http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

This is our families favourite cookie, my husband just pops them into his mouth one after another.

When I was in high school while working in the summer time in a dept. store one of the Ladies brought this cookie in that I absolutely loved. I had never tasted one like it before. I asked for her recipe and she gave me an index card and said 'you write and I'll tell you the ingredients and method". She said that they are called 'Mexican Wedding Cakes'. Now sometimes they are named Russian Teacakes, which sounds better for me as my family background is from near around there :-) in that part of the world.







This is still the same index card that I wrote in the 70's that my co-worker recited to me.

I did 2 batches, one with walnuts and one with pecans, and my husband said that he can't tell the difference.

Thank you for stopping by and have a great day!!!!!........... love reading your comments. Let us know what cookies are your Family favourites?