Christmas Cookies Series - Mexican Wedding Cakes

Hi dear friends! Thank you for stopping by at The Coffee Shop! Today... I bring to you... one of my very favorite kind of cookie: Mexican Wedding Cakes aka Russian Tea Cakes

 I just love this melt-in-your mouth good cookies! They are buttery and deliciously rolled in powdered sugar... They are very delicate and just perfect for Christmas!

Today I made a batch... and I know I'll be baking many more! Yes... again... this recipe was shared to my by one of hubby's aunts!

Mexican Wedding Cakes aka Russian Tea Cakes

Yield: 48 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus more for rolling)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups of flour
• finely chopped nuts (optional, although, authentic Russian Tea Cakes ALWAYS include nuts)

Directions:

Preheat Oven at 400F.
In a mixing bowl cream Butter, Add sugar and mix to incorporate, gradually add salt, vanilla, flour and nuts (in that order) just until incorporated. Mixture will be a little stiff. Pinch small amounts of dough to make 1" balls. Bake on ungreased sheet for 8-10 minutes just until bottoms are golden and the cookies show tiny cracks on them.  Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

Christmas and Thumbprints

Hello everybody... How are you doing? I hope you're all excited about Christmas! I know some of you might not celebrate it... But it's a big deal here in our house. We are all excited about this season! I've hope everybody who does celebrate Christmas makes sure to celebrate it peacefully and with a joyful heart! Remembering that the Reason to celebrate is Jesus... When we remember that... then nothing can go wrong... Because Jesus was born NO matter what. I know this is a hard season for many, those who have lost someone dear to their hearts or those who might be struggling financially... I am not trying to minimize anybody's situation but I am just trying to help us keep in mind that He was still born... He was born in a dark world that needed His light and salvation, that first Christmas was pretty "frugal" if you remember... But there were still angels singing! And they still are... singing to our Savior! Let's join the angelical choir regardless of our situation...

 So...

Now that I've shared a little bit about Christmas... let me ask you... will you be baking cookies? as I said previously... we don't need to get too stressed about anything and Christmas is not about food, money or even about family... it's all about Him... but still... it's great when we can share this wonderful season with those we love while enjoying some good food... not indispensable... but ... it's nice if we can do it... Today I want to share with you a recipe that I found in the "Living" Magazine by Martha Stewart...

Thumbprints with Raspberry Jam and Pistacchio

Still in the "Filling" process

 Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder (omit if making thumbprints, ball cookies, or spritz cookies)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped pistachios or sanding sugar (optional)
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined. 
2.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in finely chopped nuts or sanding sugar, if using. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 1 inch apart.
3. Press a well into the center of each using your finger. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, and press well again with handle end of a wooden spoon. Bake until firm, 7 to 9 minutes more.
4. Let cool completely. Spoon jam filling into thumbprints.

 Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

Christmas Cookies - Do you have the right baking sheets?

Hello everybody! Welcome to another post here at The Coffee Shop! It is being harder than I thought to get back into blogging! but we must do it! So... have you already planned some Christmas cookie baking? These are the days when Cookie Exchange Parties take place... I used to have this sort of tradition with a friend in Wisconsin, we would get together and bake cookies... I also tried to bake with hubby's aunts... although... for some reason we didn't do much baking together the last year I was there... It's just a busy time for everybody! This time, living now in Texas... I have already been invited to a cookie exchange.... we must all bring four dozens of cookies and share with everyone (along with the recipe) ... sounds cool and fun! But I know I am going to miss baking with my friend from Wisconsin, Ashley, so we are both going to try to bake this Thursday, so we at least get to bake the same day, even if we're far away. 

Her oldest son, then about 9 months old and my oldest daughter a 15 months old, playing while we bake

The "materials"

Here she is!

So... now, that we approach those dates... I'll be sharing some cookie recipes... But first I wanted to know if you have the right baking sheets... You must make sure you have aluminum cookie sheets and baking pans/sheets (avoid non-stick sheets because aluminum bakes more evenly as heat is distributed better throughout the sheet/pan). Cookie sheets are different from baking sheets, cookie sheets do NOT have rolled edges like baking sheets do, they are perfect for cookies because of the larger surface area but of course you can't roast on them because they can't keep any juices in. Just make sure to line your sheets/pans with parchment paper or a French nonstick baking mat to avoid your baked goods to have any metallic taste from the overheated aluminum.

I thought I would share a video that I found from our friends of America's Test Kitchen (now Cooks' Country)... I really trust them, their advice and recipes... so watch it and hopefully you'll find it helpful! Not only for cookie baking... but also for other dishes...



Tomorrow I'll start sharing cookie recipes! Stay tuned!

© Paloma K.