Mason has always loved Mexican Wedding cookies, but I have actually never had one until today. I've hated all nuts for as long as I can possibly remember until I began forcing myself to eat almonds a year or so ago. The Mexican Wedding Cookies (aka Russian Tea Cakes, aka Snowdrops, aka Snowballs, aka Italian Butter Nuts, aka Southern Pecan Butterballs, aka Viennese Sugar Balls) that I've come across are generally made with pecans or walnuts---which tie each other for my most loathed nut. I do have a great love for things dipped in powdered sugar, though, so I've always wanted to try a nut free version. Knowing that Mas would find that unacceptable and not knowing whether it would even work, I decided to compromise and make these cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking with almonds. I only used half the amount and ground them pretty fine, but it worked! Mas loved them, I liked them. Soft, chewy cookies will always be more my thing, but it's nice to have an alternative.
If you don't have the book, you should definitely think about getting it. It's one of my absolute favorites. Until you find a copy, this is the exact same recipe--with the almonds already subbed in.
5 comments:
Those are so pretty! Almonds sound like a good sub as well. I have definitely enjoyed JOVB too!
To add to your list - we call them Swedish Heirloom Cookies, make them with ground almonds, and shape them into crescents at Christmas time. But I would really like to sit down and talk about the pecans and walnuts sometime. Let me know when you're free.
Can I go back to that comment and add - "Oh, and I totally dig your blog."
thank you! oh, and i know--a vegan who hates nuts is pretty sacrilege. add that to the fact that i'm a bean-hater and...
the almonds are really good in these, though. i think that next time i will add a little almond extract, too.
Another a.k.a to add to your list: "kourambiedthes" Greek Christmas butter cookies...with/or without whole blanched almonds...so good!!
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