Sunday, December 9, 2007

Melts in your mouth...like snowflakes...




We had our first snow fall early this week and all I see is snow covered rooftops and pine trees holding snow flakes……to me the Mother Nature is looking like a beautiful bride clad in her satin white bridal gown, after her colourful autumnal fashion parade in red, yellow, orange, crimson and brown! As the British poet, Edith Sitwell says, “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home”. So to extend that friendly hand shake into a friendly talk beside the fire, last year all we needed was a plate of cookies and a hot cup of tea! Around this time, last year we had one of CJJ’s friends making an impromptu visit and as expected, my pantry was not geared up to entertain guests on such a short notice; luckily our cookie tin was not empty and I shared those homemade cookies with our friend……he seemed to be enjoying those baked goodies a lot to the extent he was embarrassed when I refilled the plate :) Yes, Paula Deen’s Mexican Wedding cookies are so fabulous and irresistible…….they just melt in your mouth, tempting you to go for one more piece!! This is a simple and easy, MUST- TRY cookie recipe and the best cookie I have ever baked!! I halved the original recipe and flavored with powdered nutmeg, instead of vanilla extract, which gave a wonderful aroma too and every time our friends seem to prefer the batch with nutmeg rather than the vanilla one. DO TRY, you will be glad that you did :)

Mexican Wedding Cookies : Yields around 20 cookies
(Recipe Source: Paula Deen from www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:
  • ½ cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg, powdered ( OR 1 tsp vanilla extract as per original recipe)
  • ½ cup + 6 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces
Directions:
  • Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper or no- stick aluminum foil.
  • Cream the butter and sugar at low speed, using an electric mixer, until it is smooth. Add the powdered nutmeg and start the mixer again and slowly add the flour (½ cup + 6 tbsp) in small quantities. Once it is mixed well, stir in the pecans with a spatula.
  • You can make the cookies in any shape you want. For the crescent shape mentioned in the original recipe, dust your hands with some flour and scoop out about 1 tbsp dough and shape into a crescent; else you can make them into small balls or footballs or slightly flatten the dough in your dusted palms and use a cookie cutter to get your preferred shapes. You may also make drop cookies by dropping about 1 tbsp dough onto the prepared cookie sheet.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes and when cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks. You may also sprinkle sugar on top using a small strainer.
Note: I have tried freezing the dough and it stays good for a couple of weeks.


This goes to Eat Christmas Cookies event, hosted by Susan of Food Blogga . Susan has been quite gracious enough to pass the “You Make Me Smile Award to me”. Around the same time, very creative and talented Anne of Simply Annes also passed the "Nice Matters Award" to me. Let me tell you, I am really flattered :) I am supposed to pass these titles to others in the blog world but since all of you, my readers and fellow bloggers, make me laugh through your comments and posts and since all of you have been so supportive and nice, I think it is fair enough to pass it on to each of YOU out there :)

Last week my stat-counter took me to a site where I was quite surprised to find out that my last post, Fruit Cake- A rich Christmas Tradition of Kerala, has been nominated for “Best Food Blog – Post” at WELL FED, by one of my readers, Sati. I have absolutely no idea how this works but let me tell you Sati, I am truly honored and moved by your gesture and treasure this appreciation you have shown. I remember seeing your comment once and I am really glad that you are enjoying my posts, THANK YOU :)

Luv
Shn

No part of the content ( articles, photographs, recipes) of this blog may be reproduced without my written permission.Copyright © 2007-2010 Kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.

49 comments:

  1. Shn--Wow!!! That looks truly appealing to tastebuds!!

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  2. congrats on receiving the awards! you really deserve it :)) really delicious cookies!

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  3. Cookies look so lovely. Are these made at Mexican Weddings?

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  4. These look very special. I don't make biscuits any more (cos I eat too many), but these look tremendous.

    VegeYum

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  5. I must try these. Haven't baked cookies in a while :) Merry X'mas

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  6. That shower of sugar looks very festive indeed!

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  7. Congrats on the awards! i was to post a cookie too. These cookies do look like it will melt in the mouth.

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  8. You are on a baking spree!! THat looks like a lot of snow on the cookies :) Must try if you recommend.

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  9. photo enough to let us know how sweet it would be. Are there more X'mas specials to come out? :)
    Keep posting more , S.

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  10. They look gorgeous Shn and thanks for replying to my query on getting dried fruits (for the prev. post)

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  11. You deserve all those awards, congrats dear. the white sugar shower looks splendid

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  12. Gorgeous cookies Ms.Baking Queen... :) Congrats on the awards and the nomination...

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  13. Wow those look so lovely especially with the sugar shower! Congrats on the awards!

    Hey and will post more of my paintings as and when I finish!

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  14. Congrats on those well deserved awards...and I love those cookies..very festive.

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  15. the cookie looks delish :) and congrats on the nomination. The cake looks fantabulous!

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  16. Congrats with both the awards and for the best post.
    Well i've heard about these mexican cookies and yours look delicious.
    Normally i should not tell you this, i wanted to keep it as a surprsie when i post it but then i saw that the post for the christmas cake ss for the best post award i thgt i should tell you, saturday i made your christmas cake and it is wrapped up in and kept in the tin. I will wait for a week to cut the cake and then will post it :-)

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  17. Hi Shn,

    These will be such a festive addition to Eat Christmas Cookies. Like you, they make me smile. :)

    Thanks for participating and for always being such a dear. -Susan

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  18. Hey Shn,
    That sugar shower do give that feeling of snowflakes, dear !.....ure writeup was superb & excellent pics as always...surely try this cookie...very tempting...
    Congrats on those well deserved awards !!!
    Liz

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  19. Hey!!! thats the fresh snow on the cookies. Looks delicious.. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Good one for the events.Good for Eat Christmas cookies Event too. BTW Congrats.

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  20. delecious cookies looks so beautifull

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  21. hi dear...long time.....just felt soo nostalgic reading ur post on christmas, trust me, we both had a very similar childhood, i suppose. I cud very well picturize me and my brother, doing exactly the same things u have written....painting a dried branch white and cotton snows, pink flower on cakes, ...later later, settling for the cake, than the icing....pakka similiar, yaar!!!

    And, congrats on the awards .... i got no idea if i will ever make any new posts,...feeling completely lost out of blogging now, ella inerest um poooyie, hummmm...very fluctuating moods now, any way, keep in touch, okie...
    my mail id is son.santho@gmail.com

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  22. Butter, confectioners sugar and nuts are a time-honored classic holiday recipe. So many cultures have similar cookies, yet each is rich and dreamy in its own right. These would be lovely with a frothy mug of Mexican hot chocolate.

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  23. Congrats Shn!! You deserve all the awards you recieved:) If I had known abt that best food bog award nominations, I too wud have voted for ur blog:) P.S Gonna prepare the fruit cake today again:) The cookies are also so tempting to try. But my cookies always expand, become too much crispy and the bottoms always burn :( they never retain their shape at all :( any tips to make a good home made cookie like our brittania or tiger biscuit?? :) i mean that texture? I really appreciate ur advice!

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  24. Shn, I just tried these cookies and they turned out fine! Only diff is I baked them only for 15 mins and they were done. Thanks for sharing the recipe, they are inded like snowflakes! (Yeah, my cookies had a lot of snow on them too;P)

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  25. congrats on the award..with the kind of recipies out here am least surprised..let me go to Mexico..Salma Hayek had once promised to make one of these for me..;-P

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  26. congrates!! and loved the cookies....

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  27. Purnima, Try and see for yourself how much they will get addicted to your tastebuds, trust me , its really good :)

    Lissie,thanks dear....Merry X'mas to you and your family :)

    Nags, hmm...if you ask me that , i am not sure, some search results showed that they re traditionally served at Mexican weddings....this comes in various names like, snowball cookies, butter-nut cookies, mexican wedding cakes et al...whatever be the name, they re just irresistible :)

    VegeYum, thanks a lot for dropping by...yeah with this type of cookies, you need to have lots of self-control :)

    Raaga, hey how re u...? :)I am sure you will be glad you did..:)

    Nupur, oh...thank you so much:)

    Pravs,I am looking forward to your recipe.....wanna try..? may be ur son will enjoy this :)

    Jyothsna, Thank YOU for trusting me and trying this out :) I am so glad to receive your feedback and really happy that it turned out well for you...baking time varies depending on the oven settings.....Enjoy the snowflakes :)

    Seena, nammude naadan vibavangal aayalo?.....baking nirthee :)

    Laavanya, Hope you could find them....In walmart, they have a separate section during this holiday season, where they keep all the items needed for baking...check that side .

    Sandeepa,thank you, my friend :)

    Sig, hehhe...pls dont say that ....:P Thank you dear :)

    Rachel, thank you and I was so happy to find your art blog...I wish I could learn the techniques!!

    Sunita, I know your cookie tin is full all the time...so may be try this once :)

    Mandira, Thank you dear....:)

    Happy Cook, hey first let me correct you there, the best post was only a nomination...I did not even make it to the finalists but was really moved by Sati's gesture :) I am soo happy that you tried the cake recipe and really wish that it comes out tasty and your family enjoys it....btw, you may want to open the tin once in a while and leave the air out....if it is double wrapped then you can very well leave it on the counter...leaving it in an airtight container may sometimes give you an unnecessary smell...so either keep it outside or just open the tin once in a while and leave the air out...

    Susan, Grazie :)

    Liz, you really liked those pics...? I felt they re so dull and lacking proper light! So, giving it a try or busy with holiday preparations?

    Rina, Thank you so much...yeah my hubbie was also saying that it looks like fresh snow only :)

    Sagari,thank you :)

    Sona, childhood memories really gives us a holiday boost, at the same time make you nostalgic too right...:) And mostly it will be more or less similar for those coming from home god's own land...Btw, why do you say no posts....? You can take a short break and come back all charged up....sometime I disappear for a week, its only to get charged up....do continue blogging...i love your humorous posts with those funny captions....so do come back and take short breaks whenever you feel like :) Merry Christmas in advance :) Going home for X'mas ?

    Susan, you said it! Infact my granny used to get me some butter biscuits and they also tasted similar to this one...but i dont remember nuts in it though it was all covered in confectioners sugar..one of my favorite childhood biscuits :)

    RV,hey no dear...that was only a nomination and voting is there only for finalists I guess...so you did not miss anything :)I just mentioned it on my blog as I did not have any other avenues to say thanks to Sati :) I dont have that much experience to give you tips on baking cookies....generally most of the cookies spread when heat touches them...so it is always suggested to keep each one at a distance...burning could be coz of the high temperature....why dont you try this one with the specifications mentioned in the recipe, I am sure it will turn out good for you..just like you trusted me with the cake recipe, take my words for this one too :)

    Shilpa, Thank you , sweetie :)

    Mathew, you re one of those who makes me smile through your posts as well as such funny comment :D yeah... finish all your Europe travels and then fly to have a date with her :P

    Swaroopa, Thanks a lot :)

    Shn

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  28. hi mishy,
    congrats on your awards!
    I am not surprised.
    i was the first to read ur post and wrote a long comment.. at the rt time when I was about to click the publish button , my younger son came and just switched off the system . I didn't have patience to againg write down.
    anyway, I am sure goin to try this recipe! seems simple and addictive.
    take care

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  29. Shn oh thankyou for the advice i will do it now itself.
    Oh i am going to check it now

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  30. Shn, your desserts are just fabulous....i keep putting on weight just looking at all of them:)

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  31. oh wow!! that does look like the melt in your mouth kinds!!!! Looks lovely!!!! ans Congratulations on your awards!! :)

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  32. Hey I will teach you the technique..err and a dessert made by you for every art technique that i teach you..What say?????? :)))

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  33. Congratulations on the awards... You deserve more and the cookies looks real nice.

    Wishing you a very happy and high calorie Christmas and a prosperous and successful 2008.

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  34. Congratulations on your awards and the snowflakes look angelic.

    Will email you soon. I'm okay.

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  35. mishmash,
    congrats on the awards.
    cookies looks mouthwatering..eagerly waiting for some more christmas treat.

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  36. Congrats Mishmash!!u r honoured to get all this awards!!!

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  37. Hi,
    I love your blog...and tried out your fruitcake recipe.....it turned out great.....thanks for sharing the recipe !!!

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  38. hey thank you mishmash:) I sure trust you on this one too:)

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  39. Lovely cookies mishmash...am travelling so unable to post for a while....so just stopped by here ...

    Have a great christmas !!

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  40. Shn, congrats on the awards and nomination! I always enjoy your posts and recipes, you well derserve the titles!!!
    Oh mine, I already felt these cookies like (sweet) snow melting in my mouth. And your idea of adding nugmet is really excellent!

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  41. those cookies look really yummy and yes..melt in ur mouth :)

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  42. and forgot to say..congrats on the nomination and the awards!!

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  43. the cookies look so delicate...now u are tempting to me

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  44. Hi There!! Came across ur blog by chance..Had a good time reading thru it..All those kuttanadan recipies are real mouth watering!!! keep blogging! I m sure to be one of ur regular visitors from now on!

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  45. congratulations on the nominations! those cookies look delicious...we used to make those and i always loved them!

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  46. These are my favorite cookies! I never seen them shaped before, they look so nice :)

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  47. Sounds great! Speaking of snowflakes, we just got six inches of snow!

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  48. Nanditha,so that one is a naughty brat, right :)

    Priyanka, so can you imagine my situation ?:D Thank you!

    Ramya, thanks so much :)

    Rachel, done deal! :)

    Alxis, Thank you for the wishes! You know, we generally dont do our annual medicals immediately after the holiday season coz of all that fatty food, to get a decent number in the tests :P

    Cynthia, Prajusha, Chithra,Thanks girls :)

    Nupur, Am happy to receive your feedback...glad to know that you liked ...Merry X'mas:)

    RV, :)

    Sugarcraft, ohh...so nice of you!! Have a safe travel and Merry X'mas to you too :)

    Gattina, thanks a lot , friend...means a lot :)

    Rajitha,Shankari, thanks a bunch :)

    Rach, Very nice of you drop a comment...Warm welcome here ...try out those Kuttanadan delicacies :)

    Cindrelly, Meeso...yeah these are quite popular cookies , they come in different shapes and names :)

    Kelly, ohh the same here...we had two days of continuous snow fall.....nice to have you over here :)

    Shn

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