Mexican Wedding Cookies [aka Russian Tea Cakes]

This post is sponsored in conjunction with Christmas Cookies Week.  I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the Christmas Cookies Week recipes.  As always, all opinions are mine alone.

Mexican Wedding Cookies, also known as Russian Tea Cakes or Snowball Cookies, are delightfully nutty little balls of powdered sugar covered goodness!  These classic holiday cookies come out every year at Christmas and everybody loves them!

These buttery pecan cookies getting rolled in a generous coating of powdered sugar TWICE after baking, just to be sure they are coated in plenty of powdered sugar.  The first roll sort of melts into the cookie, but that second roll builds up a good layer of powdered sugar that makes these extra delicious.

I have no idea why these Mexican wedding cookies have so many names, if they are even from Russia or Mexico originally, if they really were/are served at weddings or at tea time (is there a Russian tea culture?) or what the story is behind them.  But what I DO know is that these are yummy and perfectly perfect at Christmas time.

There is so much goodness going on in these cookies from the butteriness of the slightly crumby cookie to the sweetness of the powdered sugar to the ubiquitous chopped nuts.  But really the BEST thing about these Mexican wedding cookies (or Russian tea cakes or snowballs or whatever you want to call them) is their melt-in-your-mouth quality.

That quality is unique to Mexican wedding cookies because the butter-to-sugar ratio is 2:1.  In most cookie recipes, there is more sugar than butter, so switching that up creates a really unique, rich cookie experience unlike others.  They don’t flatten and spread though because of the amount of flour in the dough that helps the cookies hold their signature round snowball shape.

I like to use pecans in Mexican wedding cookies, but you can use almost any nut you like: walnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, and almonds all would work well and can be used interchangeably in the recipe.

Be sure to scroll to the end of the post to see all of the other cookies posted by my food blogging friends today as part of Christmas Cookies Week.  You can also visit my welcome post to enter the Christmas Cookies Week giveaway!

How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies

1. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until light.
2. Whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt, then add to the butter and mix until combined.
3. Stir in the chopped pecans then roll into small 1-inch balls and bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.
4. As soon as the cookies are cool enough to handle, roll in powered sugar, then cool completely before rolling a second time.
5. Store in an airtight container.

More Classic Christmas Cookies for Your Holiday Baking

• Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Authentic Italian Pizzelles
• Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Print

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

22 mins

 

Mexican Wedding Cookies, also known as Russian Tea Cakes or Snowball Cookies, are delightfully nutty little balls of powdered sugar covered goodness!  These classic holiday cookies come out every year at Christmas and everybody loves them!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Mexican wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes

Servings: 42 cookies

Calories: 85 kcal

Author: Amy Nash, House of Nash Eats

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecans, chopped fine
• Additional powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

2. In a medium bowl, beat butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. 

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar and salt, then stir into the butter, mixing just until combined.  Mix in the chopped pecans. 

4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the bottoms.  Remove from oven and wait just until they are cool enough to handle but still warm, then roll in powdered sugar and transfer to a separate plate of baking sheet.  Wait until cool, the roll in powdered sugar again to generously coat. 

5. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 85 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 11mg 4%

Sodium 52mg 2%

Potassium 18mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 6g 2%

Sugars 1g

Vitamin A 2.7%

Calcium 0.4%

Iron 2.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

LET’S CONNECT!!

I’d love it if you FOLLOWED House of Nash Eats on INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK | TWITTER.

If you try this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. Getting feedback from you helps me and other readers too! And if you’re on Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there if you have one! Also, if you share on INSTAGRAM, use the hashtag #houseofnasheats and tag me (@houseofnasheats) so I can stop by and give your post some love. Thank you!!!

#ChristmasCookiesWeek Thursday Recipes

• Celebrating Sinterklaas with Speculaas by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chocolate Mint Thumbprints by Family Around The Table
• Chocolate Shortbread by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Cinnamon Spice Sugar Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Cream Cheese Buttons with a Dark Chocolate Drizzle by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Cut Out Sugar Cookies by The Freshman Cook
• Empire Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Iced Peppermint Cookies by Jonesin’ For Taste
• Lemon Shortbread Sandwich Cookies by Palatable Pastime
• Mexican Wedding Cookies by House of Nash Eats
• Mint Chocolate Thumbprints by Family Around the Table
• No Bake Bourbon Balls by Girl Abroad
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Cereal Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Peppermint Brownie Bites by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peppermint Patty Bars by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Red and White Pinwheel Cookies by Hardly A Goddess
• Truffle Filled Cookie Tarts by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• White Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies by The Saucy Fig

Disclaimer: Thank you #ChristmasCookiesWeek sponsors: Adams Extract, Sprinkle Pop, YumGoggle and Silpat for providing the prizes free of charge. The #ChristmasCookiesWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Four (4) winners will be selected at random from entries received. The prize packages will be fulfilled by and sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. #ChristmasCookiesWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household are not eligible to enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #ChristmasCookiesWeek posts or entry.