Variations on the Mexican wedding cookie show up among the foods of other countries, including Greece and Russia. All are formed from butter and nut-rich dough; once baked the cookies are completely covered in confectioners’ sugar.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until fragrant, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a shallow bowl and set aside to cool.
Step 2
Place toasted almonds, flour, salt, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor; process until nuts are finely chopped, about 1 minute.
Step 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.
Step 4
Roll dough into twenty 1 1/2-inch-diameter balls; place on two clean baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly.
Step 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.
Step 6
Bake cookies until lightly browned around the edges, about 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer sheets to a wire rack; let rest until cookies are cool enough to handle.
Step 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.
