Mexican wedding cakes
- 125g pecans, almonds or hazelnuts
- 300g plain flour
- 90g castor sugar
- 250g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 125g icing sugar
These shortbread-like cookies are also known as Russian tea cakes. Use good-quality nuts and butter for the best results. Roll in sugar while the biscuits are still warm, then again when they have cooled.
Method
Blend nuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour and sugar and process. Add butter and vanilla and pulse to form a dough. Divide dough into four, then roll out into a thin cylinders, about 40 centimetres long, wrap in cling film, place on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The logs can be frozen at this stage.
Preheat oven to 160C (140C fan-forced). Slice off 15-millimetre rounds, place on lined oven tray and bake for 20 minutes until lightly coloured. Remove fromoven and rest on tray for a fewminutes, then roll in icing sugar to coat.
Makes 90-100
