Quick and simple, not too sweet, nutty, buttery and downright addictive – these Mexican Wedding Cookies (or snowball cookies) are great as Christmas cookies and as an edible gift during the holidays.
Plus, I have a simple trick to get a nice, thick coating of confectioner’s sugar on the cookies that won’t easily shake off.
It feels bittersweet to be updating this post, because these Mexican Weeding Cookies were the very first recipe I shared on my blog when I launched it in August 2014! I’ve made the cookies many times since then, and they’ve come to be my husband’s favorite cookie ever in that time, so I figured it was time this post got an upgrade on my blog.
Besides, the pictures from that original post look ghastly, and these little guys deserve so much better!
I tried Mexican wedding cookies for the first time when I used to live in Australia, and my co-worker brought some in to work one day. One cookie and I was hooked!
These Mexican wedding cookies were unlike any cookie I’ve had before. All you see is a layer of powdered sugar on top at first, which quickly melts away, revealing a delightfully soft, nutty, buttery cookie that’s just so addictive with a perfect, not too sweet flavor.
Mexican wedding cookies are widely popular around the world, especially during the holidays. So much so, that these cookies have many different names…
- Snowball cookies
- Russian tea cakes
- Italian wedding cookies
- Danish wedding cookies
- Butter balls
- Kourabiedes (Greek butter cookies)
These cookies have European roots, and were introduced to other parts of the world by travelers from Eastern European countries. The powdered sugar coating makes them look like snowballs, and they are known as butter balls because of just how buttery they taste!
Since being introduced to the Americas, they’ve only gained in popularity, especially at weddings and around Christmas time.
But no matter the occasion, no matter the name, these cookies are one of a kind, simple to make, and insanely addictive!
What are Mexican wedding cookies (Snowball cookies)?
Mexican wedding cookies are a variation of shortbread cookies , with the added taste and texture of nuts . They are made with,
- butter
- sugar
- flour
- and ground nuts – pecans, almonds, walnuts, pistachios or even hazelnuts.
I like to use unsalted butter for this snowball cookies recipe, so that I can control how much salt I add. Plus, I find that unsalted butter makes shortbread cookies more buttery as well. I also like to use confectioner’s sugar instead of granulated sugar, because confectioner’s sugar makes these cookies softer – I’m talking melt in your mouth soft!
Unbaked Mexican wedding cookies
How to make snowball cookies (Mexican wedding cookies)
Butter and sugar are mixed together with salt and vanilla using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Then the flour and nuts are folded in to make the Mexican wedding cookie dough.
I also prefer to grind the nuts to a coarse texture, so that you end up with both finely ground and coarsely ground nuts, which really adds to the texture of these snowball cookies. I love tasting little chunks of nuts in these soft, buttery cookies!
Although I personally prefer making these cookies with almonds, classic Mexican wedding cookies are made with pecan, which happens to be my husband’s favorite too.
But I’ve also made these snowball cookies with walnuts and hazelnuts as well, and they are all great options.
What gives these cookies that classic snowball look is the powdered sugar that’s generously coating the cookies.
Coating the cookies in confectioner’s sugar while the cookies are warm. Note the thick layer of sugar melted onto the cookies on the baking tray
How to make sure your snowball cookies get a nice, thick coating of confectioner’s sugar
I’ve got a little trick to get the confectioner’s sugar to coat the snowball cookies . Other recipes for Mexican wedding cookies call for waiting until the cookies cool down and then rolling them in confectioner’s sugar TWICE. The confectioner’s sugar is only loosely coating the cookie this way, and most of it easily shakes off.
What I do instead is, I DIP these Mexican wedding cookies in confectioner’s sugar TWICE – once when the cookies are WARM, and then again when the cookies have cooled down.
Second coating of confectioner’s sugar. Note the difference in appearance between the cookies on the bottom left and upper left. They look more like snowballs with the second coating.
Why dip snowball cookies in confectioner’s sugar twice?
When you dip the cookies while they’re warm, the confectioner’s sugar melts on to the surface of the cookie, creating a nice, thick layer that’s firmly coating the cookie. Then you dip them again, where the second coating of sugar gives them that characteristic snowball appearance, while also sticking to the first layer. While a little of the sugar may still get shaken off, it’s much less this way than if you rolled cooled down cookies twice in sugar.
Storage instructions for these snowball cookies
Once the snowball cookies are cooled down and coated in confectioner’s sugar for the second time, they should be stored in an air-tight container. These are good for about 10-14 days, but will last even longer in the freezer.
How to freeze these cookies for later
Yes, you can! If you’re planning on freezing these Mexican wedding cookies, then you should freeze them after you’ve coated the cookies in confectioner’s sugar the FIRST time, and in a single layer on a sheet pan. Then once frozen, you can transfer the cookies into freezer bags and store them for up to 2 months in the freezer. To thaw them, leave the cookies out at room temp., and once thawed out, coat them in the second layer of confectioner’s sugar before serving.
Alternatively, you can portion the cookie dough into balls, and freeze the raw cookie dough balls instead. Again, freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan first, then transfer frozen cookie dough balls into freezer bags. And when you’re ready to bake, you can place the cookie dough balls on prepared pans and bake them straight from frozen.
These Mexican wedding cookies (or snowball cookies or Russian tea cakes or whichever name you use for these cookies) are so adaptable, really simple to make, not too sweet, and just downright addictive. They are great Christmas cookies and for gift-giving during the holidays too.
Other delicious holiday cookie recipes you’ll love
- Classic thumbprint cookies
- Shortbread cookies
- Chocolate shortbread cookies
- Soft ginger cookies
- Classic linzer cookies
- S’mores cookies
- Funfetti cookies
- Spiced chocolate hazelnut cookies
- Chocolate chip & cranberry shortbread cookies
Recipe
There’s a reason why Classic Thumbprint Cookies are so popular. They are a holiday favorite, easy to make, and even easier to customize with different filling and flavor variations!
I’ve shared all my tips and tricks to help you PERFECT easy thumbprint cookies!
Oh baby, it’s cookie season! It’s one of the main reasons why I love Christmas! 🙂
And with alllll the Christmas cookies out there, it’s hard – nigh impossible, for me to pick a favorite. But Classic Thumbprint Cookies …. oh yeah, they come this close to being my favorite.
Thumbprint cookies are a holiday favorite, a party favorite, and a snack favorite for me. These are one of half a dozen or so that feature in my holiday cookie boxes every year. Shortbread cookies , linzer cookies , meringue cookies , soft ginger cookies etc. are all classics for a reason.
Plus, these cookies are really easy to make and to customize too.
I’ve shared a uniquely delicious savory thumbprint cookie on the blog before, which is really popular on the blog. But I realized I’ve never shared a classic thumbprint cookie recipe with you guys before. So today, I’m going to fix that.
This is the recipe for delightfully buttery and delicious classic thumbprint cookies with a sweet jam filling . I’m sharing all my tips to help you make PERFECT thumbprint cookies and avoid cracks and spreading.
Just follow this easy guide to find out how you can nail those classic thumbprint cookies and entertain your friends and family this holiday season!
What are thumbprint cookies?
A buttery cookie with a shallow well in the middle that’s filled with a sweet filling like jam. You use your thumb to push down on the cookie dough, creating that shallow well in the middle – hence “thumbprint” cookies.
But did you know that thumbprint cookies originated in Sweden? These cookies are called Hallongrotta/hallongrottor in Swedish, meaning “raspberry cave”!
While you can fill the thumbprint in the middle with any type of jam you like, I’ll be using raspberry jam here, because that’s the flavor of classic thumbprint cookies! But I have filled these before with strawberry jam , plum jam , fig jam , and grape jelly too.
Are thumbprint cookies the same as shortbread cookies?
They are not the same, but they do come VERY close. Shortbread cookies use a 1:2:3 ratio of sugar, butter and flour. They are buttery, but crumblier, because they don’t have a binding agent. They rely on butter to hold the dough together.
Thumbprint cookies are made with a dough that’s identical to shortbread cookies, BUT the dough has eggs in addition. Some recipes call for whole eggs, but my recipe uses egg yolks only.
The egg yolk enriches the dough giving you a richer taste than shortbread, but more importantly, binds the dough together for a smoother and more pliable result.
That being said, you still CAN make thumbprint cookies with shortbread cookie dough as well.
How can I prevent my thumbprint cookies from cracking?
To be honest, there’s nothing wrong with thumbprint cookies with a few cracks along the edges. That’s part of the charm!
However, there are ways to minimize cracking. It’s got all to do with HOW you shape the cookies .
How to minimize thumbprint cookie cracking
- Keep the dough soft – once the cookie dough is made, cover and let it rest for at least 15 minutes at room temperature, so that the dough will be easier to handle, and be less sticky. It’s important to keep the dough at room temp. when you roll it into balls, because then it’s easier to shape the soft dough, with minimal cracking.
- Make the indentation as soon as the cookies are formed – rather than rolling ALL of the cookie dough into balls first and THEN making wells, you should roll each cookie dough ball, place it on the cookie tray and immediately make the indentation BEFORE preparing the next one.
- Roll the cookie dough balls until the surface is smooth – since the dough is soft, it’s easy to get a nice, smooth surface. Make sure there are no cracks to begin with, so that they don’t widen and show up when you press down on the cookie balls to create the wells.
To elaborate on the second point above, the reason why I like to prepare each thumbprint cookie as I go is that once you have rolled the cookie into a smooth ball, the cookie will form a “crust” – much like any dough will do, if it’s left exposed to air for any amount of time. So if you wait until the end to create the wells in the middle, the crust will most definitely cause the cookies to crack. To avoid that, I do the following.
How to make thumbprint cookies
- First, portion the cookie dough with a cookie scoop.
- Roll the cookie dough into a smooth ball.
- Roll the smooth ball in sugar (optional).
- Place the cookie ball on the parchment paper-lined baking tray.
- Use my thumb or another kitchen utensil to form an indentation in the middle of the cookie.
- Repeat steps 1-5 with the rest of the cookie dough.
- Once the baking tray is filled with cookies, fill the wells with jam.
- You can either fill a second tray with more cookies and keep those in the fridge or freezer, OR wrap any remaining dough tightly with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature until you’re ready to use.
I also like to coat these easy thumbprint cookies in sugar before placing them on the baking tray. You can use regular granulated sugar or raw sugar for this. I prefer d emerara sugar because that gives these thumbprint cookies a nice sweet crunchy texture as well.
And rather than rolling the cookie balls in sugar, I put the sugar in a small ziploc bag and then place a cookie inside the bag, and then shake it a little bit to evenly coat the cookie with sugar. Works like a charm.
How to minimize thumbprint cookie spreading
It’s pretty much impossible to make a good cookie with NO spreading at all. I mean, in theory you can add more flour to the dough until it’s pretty stiff and won’t spread at all, but then you end up with very dry, crumbly cookies.
Not good.
The simple reason why a cookie spreads as it bakes is that the butter and sugar melt inside the cookie, causing it to spread. If you bake at too low a temperature, the cookie will spread too much before it bakes and sets properly, and if you bake at too high a temp., then the cookie bakes and sets outside quickly, but the middle will still be raw.
Tips to minimize cookie spreading
- Chill the cookies in the fridge BEFORE baking – cooling the butter in the cookies before baking means that it won’t melt as readily, making it spread too fast.
- Use a chilled or room temperature baking sheet – NEVER use a hot or warm baking sheet to place your UNBAKED cookies on. I like to chill the cookies AND the baking tray together in the fridge, but at least make sure the baking tray is at room temp. before you place the unbaked cookies on it.
- Make the indentation in the middle narrow rather than wide – use just the tip of your finger and go straight down, to create a narrow indentation in the middle of the cookie, rather than a wide indentation that would make the thumbprint cookie spread.
So there you go! That’s how you can make PERFECT and EASY thumbprint cookies that are sure to impress your friends and family! 🙂
Then you can fill these classic thumbprint cookies with any type of jam you like. Personally, I love raspberry, or apricot jam.
These easy thumbprint cookies are so so good! The cookies are buttery, with a hint of vanilla, and a deliciously fruity jam filling.
And since these classic thumbprint cookies are so easy to make, you can make multiple batches and gift them to your friends and family this holiday season too. You can fill them with different jam fillings, and even flavor the thumbprint cookies with different extracts for some creative variations.
Flavor variations
- Add some orange zest to the cookie dough, and fill the middle with cranberry sauce.
- Add some lemon zest to the cookie dough, and fill the cookies with blueberry jam.
- Or instead of jam, place a reese’s peanut butter cup or a hershey’s kiss candy in the middle.
- Add some almond extract to the cookie dough, and fill the middle with salted caramel sauce .
There are so many ways you can dress up these easy thumbprint cookies! Once you realize how easy it is to make classic thumbprint cookies, you can make them your own.
Recipe
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 226 g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 100 g confectioner’s sugar plus more for coating ( ¾ cup)
- 150 g chopped pecans Finely and coarsely chopped. 1 cup (almonds OR walnuts OR hazelnuts can be used as well)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g AP flour 2 cups (spooned and leveled)
Instructions
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside until needed.
- In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt together at medium high speed using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, until light and fluffy. This can take about 4 - 5 minutes depending on the weather and the butter.
- Add the ground pecans (or any other type of nuts you like) and mix in to combine well.
- Add the flour and mix on low until a stiff dough is formed.
- Using a 2 tbsp cookie scoop - portion out the cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined pan, or container (in one layer). Roll these portions to form smooth cookie dough balls (or any shape you like for your cookies) and place them in the fridge to chill completely (at least 30 - 45 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C when you’re ready to bake the cookies.
- Remove the chilled cookie balls from the fridge and place them on a prepared half sheet pan with at least 2 inches of space between each cookie. You can keep the cookies round, or gently press on top with your fingers to flatten them slightly.
- Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. The cookies will be golden brown on the bottom, but just a pale golden color on top. Cool the cookies for about 5 minutes and then roll them in powdered sugar while they are still warm. Place the coated cookies on a cooling tray, and let them cool completely.
- Coat the cooled cookies in an additional layer of confectioner’s sugar to give them the characteristic snowball look.
- Store in an airtight container. This recipe makes about 30 cookies.
Nutrition
Recipe from The Flavor Bender by Dini Kodippili
Mexican Wedding Cookies https://www.theflavorbender.com/mexican-wedding-cookies/
