Cardamom Wedding Cookies
Submitted by keepsweetmothe
Cardamom wedding cookies: buttery shortbread balls rolled in powdered sugar with cardamom, citrus zest, and ground almonds. A fragrant twist on traditional Mexican wedding cookies.
YIELD
3 dozenPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsWedding cookies go by many names (Mexican wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes, snowballs), but they all share the same snow-white powdered sugar coating and tender butter-nut crumb. This version cranks up the flavor with ground cardamom, grated lemon and orange zest, and finely chopped almonds for a more fragrant, perfumed take.
The whole wheat flour adds just enough nuttiness to play off the spice without turning the cookies heavy.
Cornstarch is the secret to the shortbread-like melt-in-mouth texture. It reduces the gluten in the dough, giving you that powdery, slightly crumbly bite that tells you you’re eating a proper wedding cookie instead of a dense butter ball.
The double-roll-in-powdered-sugar technique is where most home bakers go wrong. Roll once when the cookies are slightly warm (sugar melts into the surface), cool completely, then roll a second time for the signature thick white coating. Skip the second roll and they look bare within an hour.
Bake at the low 325°F (160°C) until the bottoms are just lightly browned, over-baked wedding cookies turn dry and dusty instead of tender.
Chef Tips
- Grind the cardamom seeds fresh from whole pods for the most intense floral flavor, pre-ground cardamom loses aroma fast
- Use slightly warm butter, not melted, for the right dough texture
- Chill the rolled balls for 15 minutes before baking if the dough feels soft, it helps them hold their round shape
- Store in an airtight tin with waxed paper between layers so they don’t stick together
Variations
- Swap almonds for toasted pecans or walnuts for classic wedding cookie flavor
- Add a pinch of saffron to the dough alongside the cardamom for a Middle Eastern twist
- Drizzle melted white chocolate over the finished cookies instead of the second powdered sugar roll
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 325℉ (160℃).
In a mixer bowl beat butter and confectioners’ sugar together until light.
Beat in vanilla and grated peels.
Sift together flour, whole wheat flour, cornstarch, and cardamom and add to butter mixture.
Mix at low speed until almost combined, then add ground nuts and mix until combined.
Shape into nickel-sized balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then roll in sifted confectioners’ sugar and let finish cooling completely on a rack.
Roll again in confectioners’ sugar and store in an airtight container.
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