My Favorite Mexican Wedding Cookies Yield: 3 Dozen 1" Cookies

Many traditions in our Mexican family centered around food. Weddings were no different. One powdered confection that was always a staple at all the weddings I attended in my youth, prepared lovingly by many of my elder female family relatives, was the Mexican wedding cookie or "bizcochito" in Spanish. My elders passed by memory this simple recipe down to my mom and aunts and I just standardized the measurements on these tasty treats. We men just ate them! Enjoy making them and eating them, all year round.

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment
• 5 small bowls for ingredients (butter, sugar-2, flour, pecans)
• 1 large bowl for coating cookies with sugar
• Spatula
• Measuring cup, spoons
• 1" scoop
• Sifter
• Baking pans (2)
• Wire racks (2)

Cookie Dough:

• 1 cup (2 sticks butter), softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Cookie Coating:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350℉.

Begin mixing ingredients in stand mixer using paddle attachment. Use spatula regularly to scrape the sides of the bowl between additions.

• Cream the butter by adding butter and mixing on low speed for about 30 seconds then adding sugar while mixing. Remember to stop and scrape sides to mix well. Add vanilla and mix for another minute on medium speed careful not to overmix. Butter should be light and airy.
• Add flour in three parts to butter while mixing on low, adding flour again until all flour is mixed thoroughly. Remember to scrape insides of bowl. Stop mixer.
• Finally, add pecans and mix on low until nuts are mixed thoroughly, about a minute. Take dough and wrap in plastic or place in a ziplock bag and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting cookies for baking.

Shape Dough:

• Remove cookie dough from refrigerator
• Use 1" scoop to portion 1" round cookies on ungreased baking sheet an inch apart

Bake and Coat:

• Bake cookies for 15 minutes or until bottoms are brown
• Place on wire racks and start rolling cookies in bowl of 1/2 cup powdered sugar, one at a time

Allow cookies to cool completely before eating.

Although these cookies are traditionally made with basically these main ingredients, you can variate with different spices and ingredients according to your tastes:

• Use anise or cinnamon instead of vanilla
• Add lemon or orange zest
• Use cocoa powder, lessening the flour
• Adding frosting instead of rolling in sugar