Mexican Wedding Cookies

My mother used to make these especially for me when I was a little girl because I loved the Danish Wedding Cookies that were sold in the grocery stores. They were a bit pricey, so she made these for me instead – which were MUCH better anyway! All you had to do was ask for that pink box of cookies and within a day or two, a plate of these would appear on the table! (Did I have her trained, or what?)
These cookies float away somehow, or magically disappear into another dimension when you aren’t looking. I took these photos on Halloween night and left the plate sitting on the table while I got the kid’s costumes on. I came back a few minutes later and the plate was completely empty. Seriously. Now my family was here and all but…I don’t even think they realized how quickly they ate them. These cookies just attract people, and kill any hope of willpower. Make them! Make them today!
I took a few of these to my daughters preschool and had to promise to get the recipe posted THIS WEEK after they tasted them. Truly, truly, truly, delicious, unique, and delectable in flavor and texture.
You’ll need: Vanilla, vegetable shortening, mini chocolate chips, one egg, confectioner’s sugar, and white cake mix. Yeah, I did just say cake mix. Trust me on this, cake mix has found a higher calling in these cookies!
If you don’t have mini chips, you can just chop up regular ones a bit. I’ve done that plenty of times.
Mix shortening, water, vanilla, and egg white thoroughly in bowl.
Notice how I said “egg white” and yet you see a yolk in there. ~sighs~ Katy was “helping” me at this point so….bascially you need to try for a white but if you get a little yolk in there they’ll turn out just fine.
After you mix those its going to look a little globby
(I tell ya, I’m sweeping the world with my culinary vocabulary, aren’t I?).
Mix in cake mix.
Add in chocolate chips. At this point you can add nuts as well but my kids don’t like things with nuts in them…although Katy did eat a peanut M&M on Halloween.
Now we’re done with the dough, wasn’t that easy peasy?
Now roll it into a ball with your hands.
I’ve never had a problem with it sticking but if it does, just wet your hands. Roll into one inch balls.
Place about two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake until almost set, about ten minutes.
Like this. You aren’t going for browned here, just almost done looking.
Remove from pan while hot and dip tops in confectioner’s sugar.
If they are too soft you can set them aside for a minute or two but you need to dip t
hem while they are warm.
Dip only the tops, like this.
The confectioner’s sugar will stick to them as long as they are warm….oh my gosh these are so yummy..
Look at gorgeous these are? They would be SO pretty on your cookie trays this Christmas. Hopefully you won’t run into the same problem I did though. I made them for Katy’s Halloween party the day before her party and there weren’t enough left to take by the time the party rolled around!
Ingredients
- 1/2 C Vegetable Shortening
- 1/4 C water
- 1 egg white
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)
- 1/2 C mini semi sweet chocolate chips
- confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Mix shortening, water, vanilla, and egg white thoroughly. Mix in cake mix, nuts, and chocolate chips until dough holds together. Shape into one inch balls. Place about two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until almost set, about ten mionutes. While warm dip tops in powdered sugar, cool.
2.2
http://www.southernplate.com/2008/11/mexican-wedding-cookies.html
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Those look so tasty! I love cookies of all types, and these just look so light and melt-in-you-mouth-y! Yum!
Stephanie, you hit it on the head, they just dissolve….they are horrible, I tell ya, horrible! I could eat myself sick on these and never look back! hehe Hope y’all are having a great day!
YUM!! Another must try! Christy, don’t you know I’m trying to lose this baby weight, lol! I’m never gonna lose it with all these good recipes. I love food waaaay toomuch!
Laura-Athens
My mom makes these and calls ‘em sand tarts. She puts pecans in them. Never had them with chocolate chips before! Sounds like it could be good!
Yummy these would be a great addition to all the holiday cookies. I will add these to my list for my Christmas gift baskets. Arent cake mixes so wonderful and versatile, I am cake mix junky.
hey christy, i will definitley be making those as gifts, but i will need a little history…cause my mother will inevitably ask “why are they called mexican wedding cookies? and i’m sure it something like duh cause they were made in mexico originally but if you have a more interesting reason i would love to give her a story with it. i can see it now 2 long lost lovers found each other and got married but the mother of the bride didn’t have access to “danish” ingredience so she improvised with….? and now you have wonderful mexican wedding cookies. something like that? thanks
kristi craft
from Wikipedia:
Russian tea cakes appeared in Russia in the 18th century, literally as a confection used in a tea-sharing ceremony. By the 20th century, they were a part of wedding and Christmas traditions in the U.S., by their popular “Russian tea” nomenclature. The term “Mexican wedding cake” seems to have emerged in the U.S. in the 1950s, possibly a result of strained relations with the Soviet Union.[2]
It sounds like the usual version is with nuts, but chocolate chips sounds just great too!
I’ll be making these soon. (I think I will put nuts in mine though.) I used to love those Danish wedding cookies too when I was a kid. Now I buy gobs of those crescent cookies they come out with at holiday time so I’ll have something to dunk in my Vanilla Almond Tea.
The cake mix is a new twist to me! I know it must be good because everything with cake mix is so good with the possible exception of actual cake. These look divine.
Oh these look yummy! I’ll have to try them!
My family LOVES these cookies. They are the best.
I voted for you on Divine Caroline. Sure hope you win.
I’ve never tried this using a box cake mix or chocolate chips before. I’ve only made it from “scratch” per sea and nuts. Hmmm….I love my regular version but I love chocolate chips so this just might have to be on my Christmas cookie plate this year. Thanks for sharing it.
~blessings
Those are just screaming my name which isn’t a good idea since I so don’t need them!
I made these today! They turned out great and I gave you a little shout out over at my place..go check it out. You have had me in the kitchen so much my family has fallen head over heels for you!
HI there. I will have to give these a try. I have never made them before. Bet the kids would love to have them on our movie night.:) By the way your macroni and cheese was delicious!!:)
Sharon:)
These are great! My kids love them. My mom used to make them and called them Roly Polys.
These look amazing! I think I will make them without the nuts! Can’t wait to see more cookie recipes!
I love Mexican Wedding Cookies. I made them last year for my Christmas tins. So good!
They look so yummy! i’ve never had these b4… but I will try this recipe out
How much vanilla should you use? It’s not listed in the cookbook either. Thanks.
Tammy
Y’all are going to die when I tell you this! The recipe doesn’t actually call for vanilla. However, I am so used to adding vanilla when I make cookies that I just got it and put it in the pic.
Then, as I was making it according to the recipe, I saw there was no vanilla, but as I had photographed, it, I put it in anyway and figured, oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound!
However, I typed the recipe from the cookbook at the bottom and forgot to put it in there!
I used about a teaspoon, but you honestly don’t have to! I was just being scatterbrained that day and covering my tracks…didn’t do too good a job, did I?
lol!
Love y’all!
Christy
I am an absolute fiend for Danish Wedding cookies so this is the find of the day for me! Thanks!
Christy I just made these and they are FABULOUS!!!!
Christy, the kids and I made these cookies last night and they never even made it to daybreak! lol yummy! Will definitely make these for the Christmas tins!
thats too funny about the vanilla – I saw it in the pics, and noticed it was misisng from your typed out directions so I just winged it and put in a teaspoon
They turned out wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
I am so glad I found your website! I made these cookies for the first time last night and they are scrumptious! I wanted to try the recipe out before my office’s cookie exchange this week. I can see I’m going to have to make a bunch to make sure my husband and I don’t eat them all before the party. These cookies are positively addictive. Thanks for sharing this recipe! KUDOS!
Hello,
I will be making these for a holdiay party this saturday…however, you do not list how much vanilla to use. Please post in your nice recipe how much vanilla to use. Thank you!
This is my most fav. cookie in the whole world. And now I can make it, Thank you!
My husband is going to be so happy I found this recipe. You will be saving me a bundle on those expensive pink boxes! Thank you so much for posting this.
Oh man, I love these things! Thanks for sharing!
Danish Wedding Cookies were always my favorite, too! So glad to have a recipe to make them myself! Thanks, Christy!
Hey…do you mix the cake mix according to the box or just pour the dry mix in. The pic you posted it looked a little think but mixed. Let me know they look really yummy
I really love giving and receiving gift baskets whenever there are special occasions. I order them directly from our local supplier.`~
I love that Pink box of cookies!! Have tried for years to duplicate them…with no success! So I cannot wait to try these!!! Thank you so much!
[...] Mexican Wedding Cookies [...]
Do you make the cake mix according to directions or just put the dry cake mix in with the shortening and water?
These sound wonderful. I dont have shortening on hand…can i use something else? thanks Jeannette
i have never tried this with cake mix. hmmmm
never had with chips either, just pecans, can I sub?
THANKS
I remember having those pink box cookies at my grandmother’s as a child. Can’t wait to try these for my children!!!
Our daughter had her first sleepover with her BFF last night and they are watching a movie right now. Maybe I can time it just right so that the cookies are ready when the movie is over! Better get busy!
I was just wondering if anyone could tell me how many cookies this recipe makes?
It really depends on the size of the cookies that you make. You get more if you make smaller ones, around 3-4 dozen or so I would guess
Sounds like it would be a great recipe if we had good directions for the cake mix!
Do you mix the cake mix or add it dry??????????????????
LindaLue, just pour in the dry cake mix. The cookies are delicious. Good luck! =^..^=
I didn’t have any cake mix so I’m trying it with packaged sugar cookie mix (Betty Crocker). Wish me luck, they smell great so far and my 3 yr old helper is bouncing impatiently waiting for the fun sugar part =)
These are so yummy!! Thanks for sharing. I wanted something quick and easy to take to our Christmas party at work. I used chopped almonds and left out the chocolate chips. I made the balls of dough about 1/2-3/4 inch round for bite-size cookies… it made about 80 cookies!
These are delish! I would like to know if you use a mixer? I used the mixer for the shortening, egg, water, vanilla but mixed the cake mix by hand? Will definitely be making these again and again! Thanks for the recipe!
Sure beats the way I use to make these. Never thought of using a cake mix. Christy, you are so smart! Thanks!
I made 7 dozen of these for a party. Every last one gone…..Could not believe how simple & how tasty. Yum O!
Oh my goodness, I am so glad they were a hit!!
Add a little coconut and pecans and this are really like the Wedding cookies.