Mexican Wedding Cookies

My mom made Christmas cookies for our neighbors every year.

She made all the yummy ones - snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip cookies and my favorite at the time, Mexican wedding cookies.

The funny thing was, she only ever made enough for the neighbors. She didn't do this to be mean, or anything like that, it's just that in her calculating, she made enough for each plate, and that was that.

She had my brothers and I deliver them each year. Each time we rang the doorbell, someone would come out, greet us warmly, and often they would invite us in for a bit. While we were there, it wasn't uncommon for them to open up the cookies from our mom, and graciously ask if we wanted any. And the truth was, my friends - we did! Ha!

So, we grew up loving our mom's cookies - but for the most part we ate them at the neighbors' houses. We were always careful not to eat too many - of course they weren't for us - but I was always happy if I could get a Mexican wedding cookie.

Now I'm an adult, and although I recently discovered chocolate crinkle cookies, which have quickly shot to the top of my "favorites" list, these still have a soft place in my heart.

They aren't super sweet, and crumble in your mouth. They are delicate, and look like little balls of snow. The perfect Christmas cookie!

Ingredients:

 

1 cup butter or margarine at room temp.

6 tsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups cake flour (or regular flour with a tbs taken out of each cup.)

1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped as finely as possible

 

+Extra bowl of powdered sugar for rolling.

 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients to make dough. 

 

2. Roll into teaspoon-sized balls, place on un-greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 F 175 F for 7-8 minutes.

 

3. Once out of the oven, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, roll them in the powdered sugar.  

4. That's it! Store them in an airtight container for a few days, or freeze them up to 3 months. 

Makes approx. 50

 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I decided to try something new this year for one of my Christmas cookie "slots", and honestly, it is EVERYONE'S new favorite cookie!

It is basically a brownie in cookie form. It is chewy, and chocolatey, and the powdered-sugar-crinkle outside is just the prettiest thing around. Another bonus is that it uses oil, so you don't have to wait for your butter to come to room temperature!

So, without further ado, and no more gilding the lily, I present to you my chocolate crinkle cookie recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup (100 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups (400 grams) white sugar

1/2 cup (120 ml) sunflower oil 

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

+ powdered sugar for rolling (approx. 1/2 cup or 60 grams)

Directions:

1. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, mix together the cocoa, sugar and sunflower oil.

2. Beat in eggs one at a time.

3. Add vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Carefully add flour to cocoa mixture, while your mixer is going.

5. Cover your dough and chill for at least 4 hours.

6. Preheat your oven to 350 F / 175 C.

7. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

8. Pour powdered sugar into a bowl.

9. Using small spoons, scoop out enough dough to make rounded tbsp sized balls. The dough is VERY sticky, and this part is a little tricky. Once the ball is formed, plop (yes, this is the technical term) it into the powdered sugar, and roll it around until it is completely covered.

10. Place the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet, approximately 2 inches from each other.

11. Bake for about 10-12 minutes (this is a cookie you don't want to overtake, or it won't be as yummy and chewy). Allow to cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

12. Can be stored in an air tight container for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

These cookies are insanely delicious, and honestly I'm a little hesitant to share the recipe, in case as a result the world runs out of cocoa powder. :)

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookie

Sing with me, "It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

The time of the year I bake cookies, and reacquaint myself with the oven.  Kidding.  Sort of.

Our littlest Peanut is fighting her first cold, so unfortunately she and I couldn't go pick out a Christmas tree.  I wanted to make sure that when the boys got back, it felt as Christmassy and festive as possible, so I baked some yummy cookies. I wanted to try a new cookie, and found a recipe for Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies.  I'd never made shortbread before, and was excited at the short ingredients list - all of which I already had!  They turned out very tasty, and were a rounding success with the boys!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cups sugar (1/4 for cranberries, 1/2 cup for dough)

2 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled, not scooped)

1 cup unsalted butter (cubed and cold)

1-2 tsp vanilla extract (the original called for almond, which would be great too, I'm sure.  All I had was vanilla, and it worked really well!)

The zest of one orange

1-2 tbs fresh squeezed orange juice

Extra sugar in a a bowl for coating

Directions:

1. Pulse together the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor, until it breaks up the dried cranberries.

2. Combine flour and remaining sugar in a bowl.  Set aside.

3. Use a pastry cutter (or two forks) to cut in cold butter, until you get fine crumbs.

4. Stir in extract, cranberry mixture, orange zest and juice.

5. Knead dough with your hands, until it comes together into a ball.

6. Form into a log, about 2 inches in diameter.

7. Refrigerate for 2 hours.  (Or up to 72 hours.)  (Or do what I did - use half now, and half later.)

8. Preheat oven to 325 F (163 C).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Take the dough log out of the fridge, and cut into 1/4 inch slices.  Roll slices in the sugar in the bowl (making sure to get both sides and the edges.)

9. Place on baking sheet, about an inch apart.  (They don't expand much, but I'm notorious for cookies sticking together, so I was over-cautious.)

10. Bake for 12-15 minutes.  It's important not to over-bake them.  I baked them for about 13 minutes.

11. Let them completely cool on the pan before handling them.  

Ta-da!!

The original post says they are good for 3 days when kept in an air tight container, or for 3 months in the freezer.  That makes them perfect to bake ahead for the Christmas season.

These are definitely making the final cut for cookies for neighbors and friends!  Scrumptious!

Family Christmas Cookie Recipes

Dear friends!  It is my favorite time of year!  To make it even better, for the first time in my adult life, I live near my parents, which makes the holidays even better!

One of the family traditions of ours that I've always loved, is that my mom would bake cookies like crazy leading up to Christmas, then she would make plates of them to take to our neighbors.  Now, as a young kid, delivering cookies on Christmas Eve, when all you want to do is open presents, is pretty much torture.  But as an adult, I realize all the things my mom was doing through this practice - as missionaries, she was reaching out to those around her, she was spreading true holiday cheer, and she was keeping us out of the house so she could wrap up the last bit of our gifts.

So this year, I invited her to come stay with us for a few days, so that I could learn from the great master, and glean all that I could.

And friends... I now have all the recipes, as well as permission to share them.

You're welcome.

So, here are the "secret" family cookie recipes.

1. Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg at room temperature

2 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla

48 Hershey's kisses, or in our case, 48 squares of Milk chocolate

Extra sugar in bowl

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375 F (190 C) or for a convection oven 350 F (175 C).  

2. Combine all ingredients (except chocolate, and extra sugar) in large mixing bowl.  Mix on lowest speed until dough forms.  (Or if you don't have a mixer, you can use your hands, like I did.)

3. Shape dough into balls, using a rounded teaspoon for each.  Roll tops of balls in sugar.

4. Place on un-greased cookie sheets.

5. Bake for 6-7 minutes (less for a convection oven).

6. Top each cookie with a Hershey's kiss or Milk square immediately out of the oven.  Press down firmly, so the cookie cracks around the edge.

2. Snickerdoodle

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening 

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs at room temperature

2 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cream of tartar

Separately - make a cinnamon sugar mixture for rolling.

1. Mix in order given.

2. Form into balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.  

3. Place on un-greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 7 minutes at 400 F (200-205 C), or if you have a convection oven, bake for 5-6 minutes at 375 F (190 C).

3. Mexican Wedding Cookies

(These are my favorite.)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine at room temp.

6 tsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups cake flour (or regular flour with a tbs taken out of each cup.)

1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped as finely as possible

Extra bowl of powdered sugar for rolling.

1. Combine all ingredients to make dough.

2. Roll into teaspoon-sized balls, place on un-greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 F (175 F) for 6-7 minutes, or at 325 (165 F) for 5 minutes for a convection oven.

3. Once out of the oven, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, roll them in the powdered sugar.  

4. Sugar Cookie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs at room temp.

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.  Cover and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).  If chilling over night, take it out of the fridge about 2-8 hours before using.

2. Preheat oven to 400 F (204 C) or 375 F (190 C) for a convection oven.  Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  (This is actually harder than it sounds - but stick with it, it'll work.  I cut the dough into about 4 chunks, because it made a lot.  I put the chunk of dough on the flour, flattened it out some, then flipped it over.)  Use cookie cutters (dipped in flour first) to get the desired shape.  Place on un-greased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or 4-5 minutes in a convection oven.  Partly, it depends on the size of the cookies. 

After this we made a quick drying glaze that worked PERFECTLY. Here's the recipe:

1 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

We used this to dip the cookies in, as well as in piping bags. It really worked like a charm, and dried beautifully!

5. Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs ground ginger

1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

6 tbs unsalted butter

3/4 dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup molasses

2 tsp vanilla

In Europe I couldn't find liquid molasses, only powdered. If you find yourself in the same boat, add an extra egg, the powdered molasses and add about 1/2 cup of agave syrup.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves until well blended.

2. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.

3. Add molasses, vanilla, and continue to mix until blended.

4. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.

5. Divide dough in half, put each half in a zip top bag, and refrigerate. (Overnight is best.) Let sit at room temperature for at least 2-8 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) or 350 F (177 C) for convection oven. Line baking sheet with baking paper.

7. Place the first half of the dough on a floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top of dough, and rub on rolling pin.

8. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Use extra flour as needed.

9. Use cookie cutters (dipped in flour) to cut out desired shape, and place on baking sheet, about 1 1/2 inch apart.

These are my gran's antique cookie cutters.
It was so fun to share them in a new tradition.

10. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (5-6 for a convection oven). Remove cookies from oven, and allow them to sit and cool until firm enough to move.

11. After they're cool, it's time to decorate! I used the same icing as the sugar cookies. They turned out fabulous, if I do say so myself!

And then, you package them in whatever way seems best and prettiest!

And I think that's all of it!

I hope you enjoy the recipes, that you make them your own, and make many memories with your own families!