Classic Butterball Cookie Recipe (Mexican Wedding Cookies)
These classic butterball cookies are a delightful treat. One of our all time favorite cookies for the holiday season, these pillowy cookies are made with 6 simple ingredients and don't require you to chill the dough. Full of chopped walnuts and coated in a blanket of confectioner’s sugar, these cookies are easy to eat, and you'll be happy to share them with friends and family.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened, 2 sticks
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar for the dough
- 1/2 cup confections sugar for coating after baked
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
Preheat and Prepare
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, measure out the softened butter, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, and the vanilla. Use a hand mixer at medium speed to fully combine, about 2 minutes. If you prefer, you can use a spoon to stir until the dough is well combined.1 cup butter, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk to combine flour and salt.2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Gradually add the flour to the butter mixture. Use a mixer on low or a spoon to stir well, until all the ingredients are combined.
Add Walnuts
- Using a large knife, rough chop the walnuts into small pea size pieces.3/4 cup walnuts
- Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the dough. Use a spatula to gently fold the walnuts into the dough until they’re evenly distributed.
Shape and Bake
- Use a cookie scoop (or just your hands) to make small balls, about 1-inch in size. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. You may have to work in batches. These cookies won’t spread much, so you can put them pretty close together.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until they are lightly golden around the edges.
Coat with Powder Sugar
- Meanwhile, place the other 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a sifter and set aside.1/2 cup confections sugar
- When finished baking, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for a minute or two on the baking sheets.
- While the cookies are warm, place 5-6 of them at a time in a pie plate. Shake the sifter to sprinkle the confectioner’s sugar over top. Tip the pie plate back and forth while you sift so the cookies get fully coated in the sugar. Repeat for the remaining cookies.
Notes
Tips
- If you desire, you can give the cookies a second coating of powdered sugar for an extra layer of sweetness.
- For a lemony twist, add 1 tsp of lemon extract to the batter to make lemon butterball cookies. Top with powdered sugar and a bit of lemon zest.
- Add some mini chocolate chips for a bit of extra chocolate flavor (you can never go wrong adding chocolate).
- These cookies are best when made on the smaller side. They cook better, so try not to make them too big.
- Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
