The Ultimate Wedding Cookie

Amarante

Fri, Dec 18 2015, 4:15 pm

I think most of us have the "wedding cookie" in our repertoire - sometimes called Mexican Wedding Cookies - sometimes Russian Wedding Cookies but the combination of nuts, butter and powdered sugar (confectioner's) produces an irresistible light cookie.

The use of macadamia nuts rather than the more common nuts produced a wonderful result. These are easy and taste as if they were much trickier to make. Freeze well but have to roll in confectioner's sugar when thawed.

ETA: I always freeze my butter cookies after I have formed on the cookie sheet because it prevents the butter from melting too quickly in the oven and spreading too much. When I bake, I have a sort of line going wit the pans going from freezer to oven.

THE ULTIMATE WEDDING COOKIE

LA Times

Total time: 1 hour | Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely chopped macadamia nuts

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter with one-half cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and nuts. Beat the flour mixture slowly into the butter over low speed if using a stand mixer, or gently stir the flour into the butter mixture by hand until evenly combined to form a dough.

4. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls (about 1 rounded teaspoon of dough per cookie); if the dough is too soft to roll, chill it in the refrigerator until it is easy to handle. Place the cookies at least 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

5. While the cookies are still hot, gently roll them once in the remaining powdered sugar, then place the cookies on a rack to cool. After the cookies have cooled, roll them again in the remaining powdered sugar.

6. Store the cookies in tightly sealed plastic bags; they also freeze well.

Each of 5 dozen cookies: 90 calories; 1 gram protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 8 mg cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 6 mg sodium.

Last edited by Amarante on Sat, Dec 19 2015, 8:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

Amarante

Fri, Dec 18 2015, 4:19 pm

And here's another variant of the Wedding Cookie - notes aren't mine and suggest packaging as a favor. Might be nice as a favor for Sheva Brachot.

LEMON CARDAMOM COOKIE WEDDING GIFTS

Source: - The Chew: A Year of Celebrations

Lots of couples like to give out personalized favors at their weddings. They can range from coasters to magnets to candles. But wouldn’t you rather give your guests something they can eat?! That’s right, I’m about to switch things up a bit with the perfect bite-sized treat that all your guests will love. And you’ll love them even more: not only are these shortbread cookies hard to mess up, but you can make them ahead of time and save yourself a load of stress before the big day. These cookies are delicious and delightful, and they’ll save you the expense of engraving picture frames or wine glasses. What more could you ask for?

FOR THE LEMON SUGAR:

Zest of 3 lemons
2 cups powdered sugar

FOR THE COOKIES:

1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups pistachios, ground; or 1 cup walnuts, ground
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cardamom

TO MAKE THE LEMON SUGAR:

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Spread the lemon zest onto the prepared baking sheet trying to avoid clumps. Place the baking sheet in a cold oven and allow to sit overnight. The zest should be dry before combining with the sugar.

2. Pulse the zest and sugar together in a food processor until evenly distributed. Set aside until ready to roll the cookies.

TO MAKE THE COOKIES:

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, zests, and salt and beat until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground nuts, and cardamom until combined. Add the flour to the butter mixture in three additions, mixing after each, and making sure not to overmix the dough.

4. Using a tablespoon or 1-ounce ice cream scoop, portion out dough and roll into balls. Place the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes trying to avoid brown spots but making sure the top is just firm to the touch.

5. Meanwhile, place the lemon sugar in a rimmed baking dish or pie plate. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool slightly. The cookies should still be warm when rolling in the lemon sugar. Roll the cookies to coat completely in the flavored sugar and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Reserve the remaining lemon sugar.

6. These cookies can be baked up to one month advance and stored in the freezer in an airtight container. When ready to serve or package, roll them again in the lemon sugar to heavily coat.

7. Place several cookies in a small tin or other type of container. Tie ribbon with names or notes for your guests.

DAPHNE: Cardamom is like the cinnamon of Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, so you could definitely substitute cinnamon for the cardamom if you needed to.”