Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (2024)

Family + Culture | Christmas | Latino Culture | Mexican Food | Recipes

ByJennifer PriestOriginally Posted on:Updated on

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One of my long time friends from college calls these delicious Mexican Wedding Cake cookies “butter balls”. And for good reason: they are made with lots of butter and rolled in powder sugar that just melts in your mouth. My family has been making these for three generations and we have perfected the recipe. These cookies bake up as round balls that crumble to the touch. And they're an iconic Christmas cookie everyone will be sure to love.

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (1)

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Today I am on the Handmade Holidays blog hop, our 7th annual hop. Last year we added recipes to the line up of the over 100 handmade gift and decor ideas from some of our favorite bloggers. When I talked to my friends and family about the holidays, they always ask me about my cookies. Every year, I bake Christmas cookies, breads, and yummies, pack them into decorative tins or boxes, and hand deliver them to the homes of friends and family right before Christmas.

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (2)

When I started eating a paleo diet four years ago, I stopped this annual tradition of baking and cookie delivery. This year, I am bringing it back! Since this cookie is the most requested recipe, along with my version of Fantasy Fudge and Traditional Spritz, I decided to share it with you this year.

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (3)

How Mexican Wedding Cakes should look

One of the things that makes our Mexican Wedding Cakes a favorite is their round shape. This shape makes the cookies easy to eat in one bite, which is important because the cookies are so crumbly. Getting the round shape happens when you have the ratio of flour to butter to chopped nuts PERFECT. These cookies should be small, about 1″ to 3/4″ round. Any wider, the cookie flatten and look like blobs. I know you've seen those blobby cookies on Pinterest or even on a cookie platter at work! The edges get dry and the inside doesn't cook quite right. The key to nailing this Mexican Wedding Cakes recipes is really rolling a round ball, no bigger than 1″ wide. After rolling a few of these, you'll be a pro at Mexican Wedding Cakes!

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (4)

Why are they called Mexican Wedding Cakes? You might have heard these cookies also referred to as Russian Tea Cakes. It's believed they actually started out as a Spanish cookies called polvorones … who knew?

I injured my arm so I actually wasn't able to make these cookies in these photos. That's why they are kind of blobby! LOL My husband made them and his “inch” is about 1.5″. So now you know … don't make the cookies bigger than one inch wide.

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (5)

He did make a good point; they do taste good no matter what shape they are! Honestly, how can I complain? I got homemade cookies without having to bake them. *wink*

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (6)

Watch this video to see how to make Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe or Russian Tea Cakes cookies from start to finish:

Everyone asks us about this “splash guard” we have on our KitchenAid Mixer … you totally need one!

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Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (7)

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A family favorite Christmas cookie recipe.

  • Author: Jennifer Priest
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 12 min
  • Total Time: 30 min
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2.25 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
  2. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla.
  3. Stir in flour, nuts, and salt until dough holds together.
  4. Shape into 1 inch balls.
  5. Place 1 ink apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown.
  7. Roll in powdered sugar when warm.
  8. Cool then roll in powdered sugar again.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 5 pieces
  • Calories: 544
  • Sugar: 8.9g
  • Sodium: 5.3mg
  • Fat: 40.7g
  • Carbohydrates: 42.5 g
  • Protein: 7.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 81.3 mg

Click here to get the printable version of this recipe.

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (8)

These flaky crumbly cookies are the most delicious!

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (9)

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Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (10) Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (11)

Before you go make sure that you visit all of the other blogs on this year's Handmade Holidays blog hop. Everyone on the hop today is sharing a handmade holiday recipe that you can easily make yourself at home. Every single blog post has a tutorial that you can follow to recreate the recipe in your own home. The full list of blogs is at the end of this post so be sure to scroll all the way down and visit every single one!

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (12)

Thank you so much to all of the fabulous sponsors of this year's Handmade Holiday blog hop.

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (13)

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (14)

About the Author

Author Profile

Jennifer Priest

Website

Jennifer Priest is a 20+ year designer in the arts & crafts industry and home DIYer with a passion for creativity. An Army veteran raised on a ranch, from her experience, she shares smart DIY projects that save money and fun craft ideas that anyone can make. Besides blogging, Jennifer is a Master Practitioner and Trainer of NLP, Hypnosis, and MER, and coaches other online entrepreneurs on money mindset, business, and living an intentional life. When not blogging, Jennifer is having adventures in the wilderness, on road trips, playing with her cats, and making paleo food.

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Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe (or Russian Tea Cakes) Cookies (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Mexican wedding cookies and Italian wedding cookies? ›

Italian wedding cookies typically contain almonds or hazelnuts and are flavored with almond extract, vanilla extracts and spices like cinnamon or anise. Mexican wedding cookies, on the other hand, use a combination of ground nuts such as pecans and walnuts, as well as butter, sugar and sometimes chocolate chips.

Why are they called Mexican wedding cakes if they are cookies? ›

Food historians have noted that during the Cold War, Russian tea cakes started disappearing from American cookbooks, and wedding cookies began to appear. It could be a coincidence, but no one knows for sure," Parra explains. Most assume the cookie's name is due to its occasional appearance at some Mexican weddings.

Are pecan sandies the same as Russian tea cakes? ›

According to Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Norma Arellano-Salazar, these popular cookies are also called snowballs or pecan sandies on the East Coast of the United States, as they resemble snow or sand thanks to their powdered-sugar dusting. Some even refer to them as Russian tea cookies.

Why are they called Russian tea cakes? ›

Some people believe that Russian Tea Cakes originated in Eastern Europe, but as far as I could tell, they inherited the name from the 19th-century American fascination with Russian tea culture.

What are Mexican wedding cakes made of? ›

They're always small, hand-formed, coated in powdered sugar, and containing ground nuts of some kind—often pecans, sometimes walnuts or almonds. They're my buttery, crumbly Proustian madeleine, and the only cookie I make without question year after year for Christmas.

What are the traditional Mexican wedding foods? ›

Mexican wedding receptions typically include traditional Mexican foods like:
  • Tacos.
  • Chiles rellenos.
  • Pork carnitas.
  • Enchiladas mole.
  • Roast pig.
  • Variety of Mexican sauces.

Why are my Mexican wedding cookies dry? ›

However, one of the biggest mistakes or complaints about homemade Mexican wedding cookies is that they ended up being dry. While one of the most common mishaps that accounts for this is baking the cookies too long, Went Here 8 This also suggests that using too much flour could cause dry cookies.

What do Mexican wedding cookies taste like? ›

Whether you call them Mexican wedding cookies, snowball cookies, Russian tea cakes, or polvorones, one thing is certain: they are a total classic! And for good reason! Their crumbly, shortbread-like texture and their buttery, toasty, nutty flavor are completely irresistible.

Why are cookies called tea cakes? ›

Outside the South, the words “tea cake” mean any cake served with tea. But to Southerners, tea cakes are more than that. They are the nostalgic cookies—crispy and golden around the edges, soft and cake-like inside—that are perfect for tea, or just about anything else you choose to drink.

What is a Tom Selleck cake? ›

Tom Selleck – Sometimes Better Than Sex Cake or Robert Redford is a Midwest dessert that is a shortbread crust, chocolate pudding layer, and cream top. I cannot tell you why this dessert is called Tom Selleck.

Why are sandies called sandies? ›

The name 'sandies” was registered by the Keebler Company in 1955 for their line of flavored shortbread cookies, including the pecan sandy. However, the origins of the sandy cookie can be traced back to medieval France with the creation of the sablé cookie –– French for sandy, which refers to the cookie's texture.

What is Louisiana Russian cake? ›

Russian Cake is prepared by mixing our almond cake, gold cake and devil's food cake with raspberry jelly, rum flavor and a hint of anise oil (licorice flavor). It is then topped with buttercream and nonpareils (aka sprinkles).

What is the white stuff in tea cakes? ›

The Tunnock's Teacake is a sweet food often served with a cup of tea or coffee. It was developed by Sir Boyd Tunnock in 1956. The product consists of a small round shortbread biscuit covered with a dome of Italian meringue, a whipped egg white concoction similar to marshmallow, although somewhat lighter in texture.

Who made the original tea cakes? ›

Tea cakes were initially made by plantation cooks for the guest of white slave owners. These tea cakes, which Etha Robinson describes as rustic approximations of European teacakes1, were typically made with simple ingredients such as sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla when available.

What kind of cookies are in an Italian cookie tray? ›

Italian Cookie Tray
  • Italian Horn Cookies. Joyce Wilson. ...
  • Italian Anise Cookies With Icing and Sprinkles Recipe - Food.com. Joyce Wilson. ...
  • Traditional Cookie from Italy by frances n - Key Ingredient. Joyce Wilson. ...
  • Cucidati - Italian Fig Cookies | Christmas Cookies. Joyce Wilson. ...
  • Chocolate Canestrelli Cookies. Joyce Wilson.

What are Italian cookies called? ›

Today, I want to share a little bit about Italian cookies called Biscotti. Biscotti, also known as cantuccini or mandelbrot (Mandel bread), are traditional Italian cookies with a long history and rich cultural significance.

What is Italian wedding candy? ›

One of the most popular tradition for your wedding in Italy is to have the sugar covered almonds called “confetti” in Italian, they are delicious and come in a very wide range of flavors. Yes if you come to Italy, confetti means delicious sweet and not small streamers of paper to be thrown at the end of the ceremony.

References

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