Hey friends! I originally published this recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies in 2008, my first year of blogging! I’ve recently updated the photos on this old family favorite and hope you get to enjoy the cookies for yourself soon!
My mother used to make these Mexican Wedding Cookies especially for me when I was a little girl because I loved the Danish Wedding Cookies that were sold in the grocery stores. 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 Mexican Wedding Cookies float away somehow, or magically disappear into another dimension when you aren’t looking. Although I make every manner of cookie throughout the year, these always feel extra special to me. Part of that is because of so many childhood memories attached to them, but another part is the tender lightness of the cookie, tiny unexpected pockets of chocolate, and angelic coating of confectioner’s sugar.
I guess they taste magical because they really are.
Coconut Oil As An Alternative to Shortening
Can’t Find Mini Chocolate Chips?
How To Make Mexican Wedding Cookies Step by Step Pictorial
A Little Yolk And You Will Be Just Fine…
- Roll dough into one inch-ish balls with your hands or use a cookie dough scoop.
- 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.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 egg white
- 1 box white cake mix 15.25 oz or close
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts optional
- 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- confectioner's sugar for dipping (about a cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a large mixing bowl, place shortening, water, vanilla, and egg white. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about a minute. Add cake mix. Beat again with mixer until smooth and no lumps remain, about two minutes. Add in nuts (if using) and chocolate chips. Mix once more just until incorporated.
- Shape dough into one inch balls. Place about two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until almost set, about ten minutes.
- While warm dip tops in powdered sugar, cool.
Nutrition
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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
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.
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!
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!