“Genius is eternal patience.” ― Michelangelo Buonarroti
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
It’s spring concert season, and I was blessed to hear an inspiring concert in the beautiful St. Thomas Aquinas chapel. It reminded me of the puzzle of the Michelangelo ceiling in the Sistine Chapel that I just completed. It was a big one, but I can’t imagine his genius in painting it… in his words, “Genius is eternal patience.”
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This week’s recipe is homage to my mother, who loved to make Mexican wedding cakes. Hers stayed round balls, but for this recipe from thepioneerwoman.com the dough is rolled into balls which flatten when baked. Similar taste but slightly different presentation. The only thing I love/hate about both versions is the powdered sugar coating… delicious, but messy!
MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup pecans, very finely chopped
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest and cardamom. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add flour and mix on low speed just until combined, then add pecans and mix on low speed just until combined.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll tablespoons of dough into small balls and place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
Bake 20-22 minutes, just until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a bowl with the remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Dredge cookies while they are warm, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Store in a single layer, between layers of parchment paper.
