Mexican Wedding Cookies

Part two of the Chrismukkah Cookie Fiesta posts...here are my Mexican Wedding Cookies - also known as Moon Cookies! The recipe was adapted from Manifest Vegan, although my version was highly not vegan, as I used butter instead of Earth Balance (which, while the ingredients are all natural, the ingredients are numerous, corn- and soy-derived and they're not anything I would find in my own pantry). 

The reason they're also sometimes referred to as Moon Cookies is because they're generally shaped like little crescent moons. I was too lazy to make moon shapes out of my cookies, and I actually ended up with a few totally smushed, flat messes after baking:

But thankfully I was able to recoup most of them and they ended up shaped as 3/4 spheres. If that makes sense. Here is my recipe, un-veganized:

Mexican Wedding (a.k.a. Moon) Cookies

ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup butter, cold
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds, roasted or raw

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together sugar, vanilla and margarine.  Add chopped almonds to the sugar and margarine mixture, then gradually mix in flour.  Your dough will be crumbly - almost flourlike - but easily formed into a ball when worked slightly with hands.

Form into walnut sized balls (this is the point where you can choose to shape them into moons, or not).  Watch out, because they'll spread while baking. I have no idea how to prevent this, I guess just make sure that the butter is very well mixed into the dough.

Bake on un-greased cookie sheet (I put parchment paper down)  in preheated oven for about 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet about 15 minutes.  Roll generously in confectioner’s sugar until very well coated.  Let cool an additional 20 minutes on wire rack.

My cookies probably could have used more powdered sugar to make them a little more decadent, but I was kind of concerned about keeping them in one piece while I rolled them in sugar. Maybe I'll have a second go at it before I put them in pretty holiday gift bags? I can always endorse an argument for MORE SUGAR!

What is your go-to holiday cookie or dessert? Let me know if I'm missing out on any great holiday recipes that I can turn into wonderful gifts!