How to Make Real Mexican Cookies

Mexican Cookies Recipes

Here are just a few recipes for Mexican cookies. Try one, try two, try them all!

Crescent, Ball and Ring Mexican Cookies

This recipe makes two dozen cookies and takes about 40 minutes to prepare.

1 ¾ cups flour
¼ tsp pinch salt
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In medium sized bowl, mix together all ingredients. Shape into a medley of 24 crescents, balls and rings. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Mexican Wedding Cookies
This recipe makes two dozen cookies and takes about a half hour to prepare.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and applesauce until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, egg, vanilla and pecans. Beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until blended. Dough should be stiff, but not dry. If it is too dry, add a little water.

Divide dough into 24 balls. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Place balls one inch apart on sheets and bake until about 15 minutes, or until they are a light, golden brown. Remove from oven and cool until lukewarm.

Sprinkle half of remaining sugar onto a large sheet of wax paper. Roll each cookie in sugar. With your fingers, pack more sugar all over each cookie to a depth of about 1/8 inch. Place cookies on a rack over wax paper and dust generously with remaining sugar. Allow to cool completely prior to serving. Cookies may be stored in airtight container for four days.

Mexican Wedding Cookies with Rachel Edelman

Covered in sweet powdered sugar, Mexican wedding cookies, also known as wedding cakes, are a delightful and light snack made with only six ingredients.

Empanadas De Fruta-Spicy Fruit Turnovers
This delicious recipe makes two dozen empanadas and takes about an hour to prepare.

Dough:

6 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 ½ cups water

Fruit Filling:
Note: A 21 oz. can of fruit pie filling can be substituted for the fruit filling.

1 cup dried raisins
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
1 ½ cups mixed dried fruit (such as apples, peaches, mangoes, dates, etc.)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup Pine Nuts
1/3 to ½ cup water
oil for frying
½ cup sugar

Mix flour, salt and sugar together in large mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with two knives, scissor style until the size of small peas. Mix well.

In small mixing bowl, beat egg. Add water and mix thoroughly. Add to dry mixture and stir well to make dough. Dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is sticky, add a bit more flour.

Shape dough into 24 small balls. Using rolling pin, flatten circles until they are about 5 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch in thickness. Roll out to 5 inches diameter and 1/8" thick.

To prepare fruit filling, add enough water in medium saucepan to cover the dried fruit and raisins. Cook over low heat until tender-about ten minutes. Add sugar, spices, and pine nuts. Mix until well blended.

Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on one half of each piece of rolled out dough. Fold dough in half and press edges together to make a turnover. Pinch edges between thumb and forefinger to seal well.

Heat oil in large fry pan or deep fryer until sizzling. Fry each empanada until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels and serve with sugar sprinkled on top.

Mexican Chocolate Meringue Cookies
This recipe makes two dozen cookies and takes about three hours to prepare.

1 cup slivered almonds
2 cup sugar
10 tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
6 tbsp cornstarch
3 tsp ground cinnamon
8 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
4 oz semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread almonds in a pie pan and bake for five to ten minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees.

In a food processor, puree toasted almonds with 2/3 cup sugar. Add cocoa, cornstarch and cinnamon. Pulse briefly, until mixed and set aside.

Separate egg yolks from whites and discard yolks. In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on low speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and increase the mixer speed to medium. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, a tablespoon or two at a time, beating until the whites form firm peaks. Add vanilla and almond extracts and beat just until blended. Fold in cocoa mixture into the beaten whites just until blended.

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of the batter, an inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Place one baking sheet on the top rack of oven and the other on the bottom rack. Bake for 1 ½ hours, alternating the positions of the baking sheets after 45 minutes. Turn oven off. Leave meringues in the oven to cool for one hour. Remove from oven and peel off parchment paper.

Melt chocolate in small bowl set over a pan of water or in microwave. Use a small pastry brush to apply a thin coating of chocolate to the flat side of the meringues. Wait until chocolate has set before serving. Cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to four days.

Mexican Cheese Cookies
This recipe makes two dozen and takes about a half hour to prepare.

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, grated
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium sized mixing bowl, combine sugar and softened buitter. Stir in grated cheese. Add all remaining ingredients except egg.

Shape dough into 24 small tubes. Using rolling pin on lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a stick, 3 1/2 by 1/2 inch in size. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and press sticks lightly to flatten. Brush top of each cookie with beaten egg.

Bake for eight to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned-around edges only. Immediately remove from oven and cool on wire racks.


Visit our Mexican desserts product section at Mexican Dessert products

Recipe and tips provided by Ann Hazard.

Join author Ann Hazard, as she leads you through four generations of historic Baja culinary adventure. She shares not only her family's favorite travel tales, but also the delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes she has collected and created. By the time you've cooked a meal or two and finished reading the book, you're guaranteed a lasting dose of Baja Magic. The book may even turn your perspective slightly to the South, lighten your heart and forever transform your outlook on life!

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