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These easy Mexican Wedding Cookies have walnuts in the dough and are rolled in powdered sugar so they look exactly like snowballs! Perfect for Christmas.
Also known as Polvorones, Snowballs, or Russian Tea Cakes, these butter Mexican Wedding Cakes are one of the easiest options for your Christmas Cookie plate.
Table of Contents
How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies
For the best possible walnut flavor, toast the walnuts first before grinding them in a food processor. You could also substitute finely ground walnut meal (preferably toasted). Add this to your dry ingredients.
Next, cream butter and sugar together. In this case, the sugar is superfine sugar which you can either purchase or make yourself (see instructions below). Add the vanilla and dry ingredients. You don’t even need to chill the dough before rolling.
How to Make Superfine Sugar
Place 1 cup sugar into a food processor and process for about 1 minute. You lose some sugar in the process though. For example, I used 1 cup sugar to make ⅓ cup superfine sugar.
How to Freeze Mexican Wedding Cookies
To freeze the cookies after baking (before rolling in powdered sugar), cool them completely, freeze on a sheet tray, and transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month. Roll in powdered sugar before serving.
To freeze the cookie dough, transfer to the freezer and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.
Spanish-Style Polvorones
There is another cookie called Polvorones which is from Spain and is also popular in parts of Mexico. This Spanish-style Polvorones is a flat cookie that is more like a shortbread. Sorry for any confusion! And I hope to share the other recipe soon.
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Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts toasted (or ¾ cup walnut meal, and 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
- 1/3 cup superfine sugar (see notes)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Adjust two oven racks to the upper middle and lower middle positions and preheat to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a food processor or grinder, finely grind 1 cup walnuts, about 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer to medium bowl.
- Coarsely pulse the remaining 1 cup walnuts in food processor, about 5 seconds. Transfer to medium bowl with finely ground walnuts. Stir in flour and salt and set aside.
- In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment on medium speed, or with an electric mixer, beat butter and superfine sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of bowl and beaters and continue to beat until the dough comes together, 5 to 10 seconds longer.
- Working with 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll into 1 1/4-inch balls and arrange 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are lightly golden brown, about 18 minutes, rotating baking sheets after 9 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool cookies on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Roll cookies in powdered sugar.
- Just before serving, re-roll cookies in powdered sugar. Gently shake to remove the excess.
Notes
- The cookie dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Soften at room temperature before proceeding with Step 4.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Yes, Polvorones in here are like you say, but made of almonds.
I’m learning a lot from your blog, it’s so great! Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Merry christmas!
I am going to track down the recipe you describe, I know someone who has it (in Mexico). Thank you so much for your support and kind words, you’re a gem! Take care. :D
I’m from Spain and Polvorones are a very popular here at christmas… but the recipe is quite different!
Hi Alicia! Are your Polvorones more like round, flat, shortbread cookies? I have seen them! Those are popular in some parts of Mexico too (if I’m thinking of the right cookie). But for whatever reason, this is the style that is popular in the parts of the US with which I’m familiar. Merry Christmas to you!