Whether you call them Mexican wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes, snowballs, or whatever, these are incredible. A tender, slightly crisp cookie filled with chopped pecans and tossed in powdered sugar.
A few important notes on these cookies: I used psyllium husk flakes as a binder in them instead of xanthan. I like psyllium more than xanthan in cookies, whereas I like xanthan more in cakes and brownies. I can’t explain it. Just how I like them. If you are using psyllium powder, use half as much (1/4 tsp instead of 1/2 tsp). I think xanthan would also be 1/4 tsp, but I haven’t tried them that way. If you do, let me know!As for the egg replacer, I usually do these with a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax plus 3 tbsp hot water, mixed together and allowed to sit for a few minutes to thicken). Ener-G egg replacer also works well. I would not suggest using apple sauce or banana, unless you want these to be fluffy or taste like banana. Maybe you do. You decide!
You have to chill the dough before baking. This is pretty much true for every gluten free cookie I make, but especially these. I scoop mine out after mixing, through them all together on one parchment lined pan and stick it in the fridge while the oven preheats. 10-15 minutes in the fridge at minimum. Or the freezer. I’ve even baked these completely frozen, straight out of the freezer and into the oven and they turn out great and it only adds a minute or so to the bake time.
Lastly, wait until they are completely cooled off before tossing them in powdered sugar. If you are impatient and just want to eat them, but still toss them in powdered sugar, it tends to absorb into the cookie a bit. Not saying that’s what happened to the batch I made in my pictures, but I will say these are some of my favorite cookies. And I had not made them in a long time.
Gluten Free Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup brown rice flour 112 grams
- 1/2 cup white rice flour 84 grams
- 2/3 cup tapioca starch 84 grams
- 1/2 tsp psyllium husk
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup margarine softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp hot water)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Combine rice flours, tapioca starch, psyllium and salt. Whisk together.
- Cream margarine and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg replacer and beat another minute or so, until combined and fluffy.
- Add flour mixture. Mix until well combined. Add pecans and mix in by hand, just until incorporated.
- Scoop out into balls, approximately 1.5 tbsp/ping pong ball sized. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 10 minutes. Bake 13-15 minutes, until edges are set and just starting to brown. Let cool on pans. Toss in powdered sugar to finish.
