Shelly's Recipe

PISTACHIO NUT MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

Category: Cookies

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar plus more for coating
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (about 4 oz), chopped
1 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries or dried orange-flavored cranberries
3 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
1 2/3 cups sifted flour

Preheat oven to 350. Butter large baking sheets (or spray with butter-flavored cooking spray).

Beat butter and 1 cup powdered sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and salt, chopped pistachios and dried cherries. Using spatula, stir in the flours. (Do not over-mix the dough.)

Shape tbsp full of dough into oval shapes and place on prepared sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake about 15 minutes or until bottoms just begin to color. Cool cookies on sheet for 10 minutes before coating.

Pour generous amounts of powdered sugar into medium bowl. Working with 4 or 5 cookies at a time, roll in the powdered sugar to coat thickly. Transfer cookies to sheet of wax paper. Repeat to coat cookies with sugar again; cool completely.

Can be made 4 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.