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Italian Wedding Cookies

These Italian wedding cookies are sometimes called Mexican wedding cookies or butterballs and can be shaped into crescents. They're also delicious made with pecans or hazelnuts instead of almonds. Great for gifting! This recipe was given to me by a friend who grew up in central Europe; they are the best wedding cookies I've ever had.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Italian
Servings 80 people
Calories 5191.6 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Electric Stand Mixer Or a handheld electric mixer
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl Suitable for mixer use
  • 2 Baking Sheets Ungreased, standard size
  • 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons For accurate ingredient portions
  • 1 Fine-mesh Sieve For sifting flour and confectioners' sugar

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 ½ cups finely ground almonds
  • 4 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar for rolling

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Place butter, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Mix in ground almonds and vanilla. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Blend in flour gradually until well-combined. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Shape into balls (or crescents) using about 1 teaspoon for each cookie; place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bake in the preheated oven until just browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Let sit until slightly cooled, about 15 minutes. Roll cookies in remaining confectioners' sugar. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Notes

1. Butter Quality: Always use high-quality, unsalted butter at true room temperature. This ensures optimal creaming with the sugar, leading to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.2. Almond Preparation: For an elevated flavor profile, lightly toast the raw almonds before grinding them. This deepens their nutty aroma. Ensure they are very finely ground to integrate seamlessly into the dough without creating a gritty texture.3. Flour Handling: Sifting the flour is crucial for a delicate, crumbly cookie. When incorporating flour, mix on the lowest speed only until just combined. Overmixing will develop gluten, resulting in tougher cookies.4. Baking & Rolling: Watch the cookies closely during baking; they should only be *just* set and barely colored around the edges. Overbaking will dry them out. Roll the cookies in confectioners' sugar while still warm—not hot—for the best adherence and a beautiful, snowy finish.