Mexican Wedding Cookies

I learned a new fact about Cinco de Mayo this week: Contrary to what most people believe, it’s not Mexico’s Independence Day (that lands in September). It’s a day to commemorate the Mexican army’s surprising win over French forces on May 5th, 1862. Here in the states, it’s a day to celebrate Mexican heritage, usually with a tasty Mexican feast and a few too many margaritas.

My husband and I invited a few friends over to partake in a dinner of homemade salsa and guacamole, a pulled pork taco bar and of course, margaritas! I wanted to make a dessert appropriate for this Mexican celebration, but nothing too filling. No one would have much room after dinner for a rich dessert like cupcakes. We still reminisce about last year’s Cinco de Mayo where everyone was dangerously stuffed to the point of uncomfortableness due to my delicious and deceptively filling enchiladas. These Mexican wedding cookies were perfect; easy to make and small enough to be included after dinner.

The recipe calls for blanched almonds, which are almonds without their dark skins. Those weren’t available at my neighborhood grocery store, so regular whole almonds worked just fine. When roasting the little guys, stay close to your oven to detect the soft almondy scent: then you know they are done. Oh, and trust me, when you’re adding the flour mixture to your mixing bowl, the smell is absolutely heavenly. You face a real danger of having your nose lobbed off by your mixer paddle, you’re smelling so hard. These cookies have a light, crumbly texture that works perfectly with the buttery goodness of the almonds and the earthy undertone of the cinnamon.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

5 oz. whole blanched almonds (1 cup), PLUS 40 more for decorating
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 large egg white, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Spread 1 cup almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until fragrant, about 12 minutes (mine took about 8-9), stirring occasionally. Transfer to a shallow bowl and set aside to cool.


2. Place toasted almonds, flour, salt, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor;


process until nuts are finely chopped, about 1 minute.


3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and 1 cup confectioners; sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla and almond extracts; beat until combined.


Add the chopped-almond mixture; beat on low speed until dough just comes together.


4. Roll dough into twenty (or so) 1 1/2-inch-diameter balls; place on two baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.



Flatten each ball slightly.


5. Place the 40 remaining whole almonds and 1 tablespoon beaten egg white in a small bowl; toss to coat.


Press two almonds into top of each cookie.


6. Bake cookies until lightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through.


Transfer sheets to a wire rack; let rest until cookies are cool enough to handle.


7. Place remaining 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar in a fine-mesh sieve. Sift sugar over cookies, reserving any remaining sugar. Return cookies to baking sheets. Let cookies cool 15 minutes, and coat with sugar again. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.