These Mexican Wedding Cookies (aka Pecan Puffs) are the perfect combination of crumbly and soft. Puffs of pecan that literally melt in your mouth!
Day 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies!
After 3 years of Christmas Cookies on AHC my “Family Recipe Well” was running dry, so I sent out a cry for help in true 2016 fashion.
No, it wasn’t a tweet, so I guess it was more circa 2010…don’t be so judgy.
No fewer than three people sent back this recipe for “Pecan Puffs”, which was clearly my grandmother’s cute name for Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Teacakes.
Yes, I’ve already technically posted a recipe but three family members can’t be wrong. {They certainly weren't wrong about Grandma's Chewy Molasses Cookies either!}
Mexican Wedding Cookies
And I wasn’t disappointed. They were delightfully crumbly but not dry, the ideal Mexican Wedding Cookies. The pecans and sugar were perfect!
These Mexican Wedding Cookies, or Pecan Puffs, taste like sweet pecans and nostalgia. Pecan desserts always have that extra bit of love baked into them for me. My Great-Grandmother's Pecan Tassies have been one of my favorite things to request since before I can remember. In addition to making a huge feast whenever family came to visit her, RoRo would bake up dozens of everyone’s favorite treats to send home with them.
I pre-toasted my pecans for maximum flavor and added a little salt. Old recipes never call for salt – why? Such an easy flavor boost!
But these Mexican Wedding Cookies were heaven! Just more proof that Grandma knows best!
These Pecan Puffs are Day 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies! You won't want to miss my Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Festive Holiday Spritz, Ginger Orange Almond Biscotti, No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies, Butterscotch Chews, or Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cookies from Day 1!
Grandma’s Pecan Puffs
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans (toasted and cooled)
- Confectioner’s sugar (as needed for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- On low speed add the flour, salt and pecans; mix until combined.
- Roll into 1-inch balls and place 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Cool 5 minutes then roll in sugar. Cool completely and roll in confectioners sugar again.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-6 days.
Lindsey, are there any changes for high altitude baking? I live outside of Denver at about 1000 feet higher. I'm still trying to figure out baking here!
Hi Rebecca, I am not familiar with high altitude baking unfortunately. These cookies do seem pretty low risk, but, based on what I've read, you might want to just bake them a bit longer. I wouldn't necessarily increase the oven temperature or they might dry out even more than usual. My best advice is to test a half batch and then adjust!
My grandmother made these cookies for us when we were children. She didn't flatten the bottoms but instead left them in a ball shape. We called them snowball cookies. They were delicious. I never got the recipe but I'm sure it was similar to yours as I helped her make them. My job was to cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla by hand and her job was to add the flour and chopped pecans. I'm going to try your recipe this Christmas!
Thats a lovely memory, Katie! I didn't flatten mine intentionally, they just did that when they baked! I could add more flour but then they'd be drier. 🙂
Can I freeze the left over mix (uncooked)??
Absolutely! But you can also freeze the baked cookies:-)
Yeih!!! Just made them! They are absolutely incredible!!! Tks so much
Great! Thank you for stopping by Isabela! I'm glad you enjoyed them!
They are soooo sooo good! I’m making them again. Do you think I can make them with whole wheat flour?
I'm so glad! I definitely do! Whole wheat flour does need more moisture than AP so if they won't hold together, just add a bit more butter.
I have been making these for over 40 years. Now my son and his girl friend want me to make them for their wedding. What I would like to know is how I can make them early and keep them fresh for the wedding day. They want at least 24 dozen because there is going to be at least 100 guest at their wedding. Any help would be appreciated!
Hi Hester! I suggest freezing them! Then after thawing roll in confectioner sugar again for the white outside. Happy baking! And congratulations to your son!
Pecan puffs of been a tradition of mine since my grandmother used to make them every Christmas! And now my daughters are making them also as a tradition of theirs. But.......I hate to tell you this, but it was not your grandmothers cute little name. I have my grandmothers old JOY of COOKING circa 1931 book and they are called Pecan Puffs in that book. Not sure when they started to be called Mexican wedding cookies I don't know who created them first. All I know is that I love them and will have them every year in honor of my grandmother! 🙂
Perhaps that is where she got the recipe! I love them too!
45 minutes is that correct?
Hi Laura, Yes because the oven is at 300 degrees. YOu could probably bake them at 350 for around 15, but I haven't tried it with this particular recipe. I have with my walnut balls
Yes!
This recipe says 45 minutes is that correct? I’m afraid I’ll burn them. Please confirm for me. Thank you
Hi Laura, It is 45 because the oven temperature is only 300 degrees and the puffs are cold from the refrigerator. you can bake them hotter for less time but watch them! You just want the outsides to be a golden brown.
45 minutes at 300 degrees did not burn the cookies, but they sure were NOT the melt in your mouth cookie I was looking for; they were hard as a rock and un-fun to eat. I will redo for my own satisfaction. Such a bummer
It says "45 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown." All ovens are different and cookie size varies, the most important thing to do is check. I personally like the underbake these types of cookies...usually only 20 minutes or so, but that isn't technically the correct way for this type. They are supposed to be dry and crumbly.
Amazing looks perfect added this recipe to my Christmas checklist will prepare it definetly.
You won't regret it, Norma!
This looks incredible! Yum!
Love this!
Thank you, Mary Frances!
There is nothing more satisfying that a couple of pecan puffs and a glass of cold milk. And of course in great company of family and friends.
Beautiful, sweet, comforting, and so yummy. I’m in. Thank you and have a pleasant day !
Wow. These sound delicious! I can't wait to try out this recipe. Thanks!
This recipe is a variation of Joy of Cooking's Pecan Puffs. The name is from that book. I believe you should give her credit.
Hi Monica! Thank you for your comment. I got the recipe from my (now deceased) grandmother and so I just credited her. It is hard to find the origins of heirloom recipes! I have a vintage Joy of Cooking and I did, indeed, find "Pecan Puffs". It seems that the recipe is the same except for my grandmother reduced the pecans by half...economical as always! Happy baking!
Honestly, I think if I rotated between chocolate chip cookies and some type of wedding cookie (can't wait to try your pecan puffs), I would be happy forever...with a few of your other choice cookie recipes thrown in from time to time, just to shake things up a tad. I hope you have a wonderful 2017. This is a bold statement, but of all the blogs I have followed (and loved some of them), yours is my absolute favorite. There is plenty of talent out there, but you have a whimsical charm and darling sense of humor that is so pleasing and comfortable, and it sets you apart. You are down to earth, which makes you relatable. I earmark so many of your recipes (pie, anyone?) that I will love to make one day. THANK YOU for all your efforts and expertise to encourage me in my kitchen. God bless you in everything, Lindsey and I would love to meet you someday. So if you write a cookbook and have a signing, I will show up! Take care!
Hi Kathryn! What a wonderful, heartwarming comment! Thank you so much Kathryn for being such a loyal reader and commenter! It is for readers and bakers like you that I do this! It is a lot of work (along with my other job) and it brings me such joy to hear that you love the blog and the recipes! I would love to meet you as well! I would love to write a cookbook one day but until then I am the pastry chef at Restaurant Marc Forgione in NYC in case you happen to find yourself in the city! God bless you as well and I am wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2017! Best, Lindsey
Yum. Made some last week. I'd forgotten how good they are. Thanks for the reminder.
I'm so glad!!! Positively addictive xoxoxoxo