(Biscochos)
If you’ve never been to a Mexican wedding, you’re missing out on some of the best celebrations in the world. Traditionally, these cookies were made for these elaborate celebrations, but now they are popular for holiday baking. The cookies themselves have a long history in Europe and were introduced to Mexico by the Spanish during the seventeenth century. Hence, they are very similar to Russian tea cakes and Spanish polvorones.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup powdered sugar, plus extra for coating cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the ¼ cup powdered sugar and the vanilla and beat until combined, another couple of minutes. Gradually beat in the 1 cup flour until combined. Then, stir in the nuts.
Dust your hands with flour, then shape the dough into balls using about 1 teaspoon dough for each ball. Place the dough balls about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden, 15 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a rack until they are cool enough to handle but still warm. Roll them in powdered sugar until completely covered.
Serve immediately, or store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer for a couple of weeks.