Natural Strawberry Mexican Wedding Cookies
These addictive melt-in-your-mouth cookies are getting a flavor revamp with crushed freeze dried strawberries.
Enjoy these powdered sugar-dusted, crunchy, nut-filled cookies ~ a true holiday treat!
I have named these cookies ” Mexican Wedding Cookies” yet similar cookies called Snowball Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes and sometime Mexican Wedding Cakes.
The cookies have a distinctive tangy strawberry essence without artificial flavors (natural flavors), colors or citric acid.
They are not bright pink inside… the nuts add a good amount of color – yet freeze dried strawberries add a lovely piquancy.
- Pastry Flour (or can use cake flour) adds a special light crumb to the cookies.
- Freeze dried strawberries are available in specialty or health food shops – I bought mine at Trader Joe’s
- Organic, non GMO butter adds a wonderful flavor without Natural Flavoring… which is added to most commercial butters!
- I’m using pecans – you might try almonds or walnuts; toast before you chop for ultimate flavor.
Refrigerate the dough until very cold and firm – at least 2 hours.
Origin of Mexican Wedding Cookies
Also referred to as Mexican wedding cakes, these buttery cookies originated outside of Mexico. Their creation has been traced back to medieval Arab baking that predominantly featured ingredients like butter, sugar, spices and nuts. As trade routes began to broaden, these sweet confections made their way from the Middle East to all parts of Europe.
A grand cake table is typical inMexican weddings – there are often tables reserved for other sweets as well – including, naturally, the little “Mexican wedding cakes” (cookies) known as in Mexico as polvorones.
Natural Strawberry Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans lightly toasted
- 2 sticks unsalted butter 1/2 pound (1/2 pound) Room temperature - I use organic, no natural flavoring.
- 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries pulsed fine (see note*)
- 2 cups pastry flour can use cake flour
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar for coating the warm cookies
Instructions
Toast the pecans:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add pecans to your cookie sheet and toast for 5 - 7 minutes until fragrant, toasted, but not colored. Cool - then chop in a small food processor until well chopped with a little texture - not too fine.
Make the cookie dough:
- Place the room temperature butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a paddle, mix until blended well, but do not over process.
- Add the strawberry powder, mix in on low speed. Add the flour and pecans - mix until just blended, and the strawberry powder is well distributed. Refrigerate the dough until very cold; 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add a piece of parcment paper or silpat liner.Scoop a well rounded mound of dough with a rounded #100 cookie scoop, roll quickly in your hands until round - drop each on ungreased cookie sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart. Cookies can also be formed with a spoon - use 1 inch ball of dough.
- Bake for 12 - 14 minutes until cooked through and a touch golden underneath.Remove from oven, cool slightly. Add 1 cup confectioner's sugar in a small bowl. When still a tad warm - add cookies to coat all over, one at a time, then add to a wire rack to cool completely. For a super-white coating, repeat this process, using more confectioner's sugar when cookies are cool.
- Store cookies in a container with a good seal. Eat within 10 days (they won't last that long!)
Notes
To say hello, discuss a recipe, share one, or have a comment - I would love to know what you think!
I loved the cookies-so inventive! I almost ate more than my guests! I brought them to a friends and they were a big hit. Next time I might take a tiny bit of the left over strawberry powder and sprinkle it on top of the powdered sugar for color. So interesting and creative for strawberry ? season. I like how you garnish them with real strawberries..