Melt-in-your-mouth, easy to make almond cookies using 4 ingredients that will bring raves. Huge raves! You might also know them as butterballs. They never disappoint, keep well for a few weeks, and are perfect for gift giving.
These little sugar-coated butter cookies are the ultimate holiday cookie. Who doesn't need a recipe for easy gifts?
You can wrap them and give them as hostess' gifts, or take them to whatever party you're going where you don't want to arrive empty-handed. They are a crowd-pleaser. Great with coffee, mulled wine or as an after-dinner sweet bite.
Similar to my beloved Pistachio Butter Cookies I usually make them with almonds but they're also great with walnuts and pecans. I think any ground nut works here, though I haven't tried them all.
Ingredients
They are only four main ingredients in these cookies. I like to add flavorings, but let me tell you now that they are amazing even without them.
- Almonds: I buy nonpareil because they are easily available and the best if you want to remove the skins. But you can use Marcona or any other you like.
- Powdered sugar: the amount is small but very necessary for the melt in your mouth quality of these cookies. Using granulated sugar will not give the same results.
- Butter: use unsalted and the best you can afford. They are butter cookies after all.
- Flavorings: they are not essential for the cookies to be delicious, but they add a nice depth of flavor.
Easy steps
The cookies dough is made in one bowl with a wire whisk. You can use a hand beater for the first part, but don't after adding the flour.
WATCH THE STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO👇🏻
Toasting the nuts
Toasting, in general, opens flavors. Such is the case with spices and seeds that are toasted in a skillet or low oven before going into a dish or salad.
The same goes for the almonds in this recipe. I believe they make a difference. BUT, make no mistake, this recipe is amazing even without the toasted nuts.
Be aware that it takes a few minutes to toast and a few seconds to burn. So once they go into the oven keep an eye on them. It's fine to leave the skin on. It will simply crack open here and there.
Every year I decide to make homemade gifts to give to friends, and every year I fail lol. Maybe this will be the year. And this is certainly a fitting recipe.
Here's why:
- They travel well.
- Can be made ahead.
- Can be flavored with different spices, citrus zest, and extracts.
- Are delicious plain or glazed, as we do with the Pistachio Butter Balls.
- You'll be hard to find someone that doesn't swoon over them!
Other cookie recipes I like to make for the holidays:
Fudgy Brownie Cookies
Coconut Citrus Shortbread
Homemade Oreos
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Easy Oatmeal Walnut Cookies
My expert tips
- Butter: make sure it's at room temperature. You should be able to make this recipe by hand with a whisk.
- Toasting the nuts: as I explain before, lightly toasting the almonds add a lot to the flavor of the cookie.
- Storing: the baked cookies keep very well for a few weeks if stored in airtight tins or cookie jars.
- Make ahead: the dough is similar to shortbread, so you can freeze the unbaked cookie balls before baking, well wrapped, for a month. Bake directly from the freezer.
- Variations: use a different nut such as walnuts or pecans. Add citrus zest (lemon and orange work very well). Add mini chocolate chips. Add a spice, such as ground cinnamon or cardamom.
Frequently asked questions
They are not really Mexican, and they appear to have been named like that as a counterpart to the Russian tea cakes (which is basically the same cookie) decades ago during the cold war.
If you call them snowballs the origin is said to go back to the 1800s in NYC.
The original cookie probably dates back centuries and originated in the Middle East as they have similar cookies with different names.
They crumble too much and fall apart when they don't have enough moisture which comes from the butter. They are crumbly cookies, make no mistake about that. But they hold their shape. If you're not able to take a piece of dough and form it into a moist ball you need to add more butter, maybe a few teaspoons. Adding a teaspoon of milk will also bind the dough.
Absolutely! I like to freeze the formed balls in the baking sheet. And then transfer the rock solid pieces to a plastic bag so they don't take up space in the freezer. Baked cookies can also be frozen before rolling them in sugar.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and also if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
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Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 25 medium 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Melt-in-your-mouth, easy to make almond cookies using 4 ingredients that will bring raves. Huge raves! You might also know them as butterballs. They never disappoint, keep well for a few weeks, and are perfect for gift giving.
*Estimated time doesn't include cooling time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (225g), at room tº
- 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup ground almonds, toasted if you want
- Extra powdered sugar, for coating the cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Add almond extract and beat well.
- Add flour, 1 cup at a time and then the almonds. Mix just until smooth.
- Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll portions of cold dough between your palms to form balls. Place 1-inch apart on lined baking tray.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are a bit golden and cracked.
- Let cool on a wire rack. Roll in some extra confectioners' sugar to coat.
- These cookies freeze well unbaked. When you need them, just line them up on a parchment-lined or greased baking tray, thaw, and bake.
Notes
Almonds: I buy nonpareil because they are easily available and the best if you want to remove the skins. But you can use Marcona or any other you like.
Powdered sugar: the amount is small but very necessary for the melt in your mouth quality of these cookies. Using granulated sugar will not give the same results.
Butter: make sure it's at room temperature. You should be able to make this recipe by hand with a whisk.
Toasting the nuts: as I explain before, lightly toasting the almonds add a lot to the flavor of the cookie.
Storing: the baked cookies keep very well for a few weeks if stored in airtight tins or cookie jars.
Make ahead: the dough is similar to shortbread, so you can freeze the unbaked cookie balls before baking, well wrapped, for a month. Bake directly from the freezer.
Variations: use a different nut such as walnuts or pecans. Add citrus zest (lemon and orange work very well). Add mini chocolate chips. Add a spice, such as ground cinnamon or cardamom.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/24
- Calories: 157
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 1.4 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.2 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 20.3 mg
Keywords: snowballs, mexican cookies
Was wondering if you could use almond paste in these.I had some with it but never got the recipe.They were wonderful!
Hi Melodie! I never really tried them with almond paste and is usually on the dry side, the ones that I bought at least. So I think it will make these cookies too dense. That said, I will investigate about recipes with paste, as it's such a wonderful flavor. I'll let you know.
Hi! Do you think I could have the recipe?
Hi J, the full recipe is at the end of the post. If you were able to leave a message you passed the recipe card. You also have a Jump to Recipe at the beginning of the post, right below the title, that takes you straight to the recipe.
I bake these every single year and are ALWAYS a big hit! My friends love them and I’m always complimented when I give them as holiday gifts. Thank you for this recipe Paula.
★★★★★
Just baked these and wandering what the best way is to store them once baked and covered in sugar 🙂
Not sure if they should go in the fridge...
Thanks!
Hi Helen! I keep them in tins preferably, or cookie jars. At room t°.