Mexican Wedding Cookies (Snowballs)

snowballs

ground pecans

balls

golden brown on the bottom

toss the warm cookies in the powdered sugar once...

then twice...

until it looks like this.

So this post is a bit tardy... Snowballs are generally (at least in my family) made during the holiday season. Because of that we will change the name to Mexican Wedding Cookies, which you can have any time of year.

These cookies go by many names -- Wedding Cookies, Snowballs, Pecan Balls, Russian Tea Cakes, Butter Balls -- the list goes on and on.  The ingredients vary slightly for some, but they are all the same basic cookie made from flour, butter, sugar, and nuts.

For this version, I grind the pecans well in the food processor to help it blend evenly into the batter. I use salted butter for this recipe because of how the salt complements the sweetness of the cookie. Butter and powdered sugar are creamed, vanilla extract added, then the flour and baking powder, and finally the ground pecans are combined.

Ingredients

1 cup (1/2 lb) salted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for coating
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 rsp baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Ground pecans in a food processor until similar consistency to flour.
3. In large bowl with hand mixer or in a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add vanilla and blend again until smooth.
5. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture, mixing on low until blended.
6. Stir in pecans until thoroughly incorporated.
7. Using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough, roll into a ball, and place on cookie sheet (on parchment paper) about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Cookies will spread some, but not too much, so they can be placed somewhat close together. 
8. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.  Place on wire rack.
9. Let cool slightly then toss in powdered sugar until coated. Sugar will become somewhat sticky after the first coating because of the heat of the cookies. Let rest on wire rack for a few minutes and then roll again in powdered sugar. 
10. Cool completely and then place in air tight container. 

We keep our snowballs in the freezer -- you can't beat a cold, buttery, powdery cookie with a big cup of hot coffee.