Name: Mexican Wedding Cakes
Yield: Makes about 4 dozen
Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature; 2 cups powdered sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups all purpose flour; 1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely ground; ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mexican Wedding Cakes being served on a plate with espresso.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

These "cakes" are really festive cookies.

Editors's note: Take a tip from Rose Levy Beranbaum and swap in clarified butter or ghee for the butter in this recipe, which will produce a lighter, crumblier cookie.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely ground

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Step 1
Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add ½ cup powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well blended. Beat in flour, then pecans. Divide dough in half; form each half into ball. Wrap separately in plastic; chill until cold, about 30 minutes.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk remaining 1½ cups powdered sugar and cinnamon in pie dish to blend. Set cinnamon sugar aside.
Step 3
Working with half of chilled dough, roll dough by 2 teaspoonfuls between palms into balls. Arrange balls on heavy large baking sheet, spacing ½ inch apart. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining half of dough. (Cookies can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature; reserve remaining cinnamon sugar.)
Step 4
Sift remaining cinnamon sugar over cookies and serve.