Mexican Wedding Cookies

December 4: National Cookie Day

As marriage sponsors at our church in South Texas, we frequently work with engaged couples who are of Latino descent. At our FOCCUS sessions, we serve “symbolic” snacks—Mexican wedding cookies/cakes. The bizcochitos para bodas are tiny treats that represent fertility (nuts) and a sweet married life (powdered sugar). Not only are the cookies appropriate for wedding-related gatherings but also for upcoming holiday socials and National Cookie Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from “Viva el Amor: The Latino Wedding Planner”)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (we used a local mantequilla)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Mexican vainilla)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely chopped nuts (we used pecans, which grow abundantly in our area)
• 1-2 cups powdered sugar (for the final coating)

Directions

In a mixer or large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Add the vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour with the salt until the cookie dough is smooth. Mix in the nuts until well incorporated. Shape into a large ball, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pinch out 1- 1 ½-inch size balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, being careful not to brown the cookies. Remove from the oven and gently roll in powdered sugar. Let the cookies cool and harden on a wire rack. Roll again gently in powdered sugar.

Notes

• Mexican wedding cookies/cakes are also known as Russian tea cakes, butterballs, meltaways and snowdrops.
• Some Mexican wedding cookies/cake recipes call for ground nuts but we prefer ours packed with pecan pieces for a more substantial sweet treat.
• The cookies are quite crumbly and delicate when hot out of the oven. Be patient and let them cool and harden.
• Place them in mini white or pastel paper cups or on pretty platters, dessert stands or tiers and serve them at bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners and at the wedding itself. Or package the cookies creatively as festive favors.
• We sometimes sprinkle white edible glitter on top of the cookies to give them an extra sparkle for special occasions.
• The gold coin box in the photo above has 13 coins to represent Jesus and His 12 apostles. Las arras (earnest money) symbolizes that the newlyweds vow to share their worldly goods with each other for richer or poorer. We incorporated this tradition in our own multicultural wedding ceremony in 1996. Learn more about Latino wedding customs from “Viva el Amor: The Latino Wedding Planner.”