These meltingly tender cookies are sometimes referred to as Mexican Wedding Cookies. They are perennial favorites for the holidays with all generations of cookie lovers.
Yield: 4 dozen
Active time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 30 minutes
1 cup (16 tablespoons) soy margarine, softened
13/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
1 cup cake flour
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup very finely chopped blanched almonds
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Mexican
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Combine margarine and 11/4 cups sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat at low speed with an electric mixer to blend. Increase the speed to high, and beat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add cake flour, self-rising flour, almonds, and vanilla to the bowl, and mix briefly until just combined. The dough will be very stiff; add a few drops of hot water, if necessary, to make it pliable.
3. Take scant 1-tablespoon portions of dough, and roll them into balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, and flatten balls slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
4. Allow cookies to sit for 2 minutes. Sift remaining 1/2 cup sugar into a low bowl, and transfer cookies a few at a time to the bowl with a spatula. Coat cookies with sugar, and then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
Note: Keep cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed paper or parchment, at room temperature for up to 5 days. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Variations:
Substitute pecans, toasted in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, for the almonds.
Add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the dough.