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It should be illegal for cookies to be this easy to make. Especially in light of the obesity epidemic in America. When I was growing up, my family always called these Norwegian Wedding Cookies. Imagine my surprise in college to discover that the rest of the world calls them mexican wedding cookies. Apparently these cookies are traditionally handed out as wedding favors. Not at any wedding I’ve ever been to. But that would have made it my favorite wedding ever.

Anyhow, I ran out of powdered sugar (oops) and so I had to roll them in powdered sugar and cocoa powdered ( I know, worst thing ever, right?), if I do say so, cocoa is  probably the best thing that ever happened to a mexican wedding cookie. But you make the call.

These also freeze very well, so make them and put half in the freezer to prevent yourself from eating them all at once.

Mexican Wedding Cakes (from epicurious)

  • 1 Cup butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 2 Cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 2 teasp. vanilla extract
  • 2 Cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Cup pecans, toasted, coarsely ground
  • 1/8 teasp. ground cinnamon
  1. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla, beat well (turn the mixer on slowly to avoid a huge mess).
  2. Beat in flour, then pecans. Divide dough in half, form each into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic, chill until cold (30 minutes).
  3. Preheat the oven to 350. Whisk remaining powdered sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon in a pie dish.
  4. Working with half the dough at a time, roll 2 teaspoons of dough into balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. NOTE: Rolling them in the sugar first is optional. I find it helps them not get so cakey and wet looking when you roll them after they’ve baked. And really, it’s just more sugar, so what’s that hurting?
  5. Bake cookies until golden on bottom and pale golden on top (about 18 minutes, but keep an eye on the first batch so you know exactly how long to bake the rest). Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then toss in powdered sugar again (or sift more sugar over the top)

    Look, anything that includes this much whipped butter is going to be good.

    Toast you pecans at 350 for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. You'll know there done when you start to smell them.

    So what I ran out of powdered sugar? Adding cocoa made them taste like mexican hot chocolate. Which is SO YUMMY. And when's the last time you heard someone say, ewww, the chocolate really ruined that.

    I really hate powdered sugar. I hate the mess it makes and the way it floats around the kitchen. So once these puppies are cool, I sift the sugar over them. But you roll 'em if you want. Cause you're going to have to clean your own kitchen up.

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