This cookie is a favorite and has many names. The recipe for these cookies was first published in the 1950's and the actual country of origination is unspecific. The name of the cookie has been linked to several countries: Russia, Mexico, Italian and even areas of the Middle East.
Anyhow, this particular recipe was one of the top ten in a cookie contest. This is a common cookie recipe, but with the difference being macadamia nuts instead of pecans. This recipe makes 4-4 1/2 dz, depending on the size of your cookies.
Wedding Cookies
adapted from LA Times Cookie Bake Off
Ingredients
confectioners sugar or sanding sugar (for rolling cookies in)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup or 2 sticks of butter (room temp)
2 cups finely chopped macadamia nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and 1/2 cup of sugar. Add vanilla and set aside.
Take a smaller bowl and sift together flour and salt. Mix in chopped nuts. Then, with a wooden spoon, blend into creamed butter mixture. Stir together until no more flour remains.
Take portions of the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. If you are using colored sanding sugar, now is the time to roll the balls into that sugar. Then place balls on ungreased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
Bake 15 minutes until lightly browned. The bottom of the cookie should be browned and a few toasted spots on top-do not wait until the tops have cracked. Remove pan from oven.
If using confectioners sugar, roll each of the warm cookies in sugar. Place cookies on rack to cool. You can roll again once the cookies have cooled. It is important that cookies cool on rack. A flat surface combined with the sugar coating will cause them to be soggy on the bottom.
