Do You Love Wedding Cookies?

Silly question isn't it? "Do you like wedding cookies?" Like, DUH! A crumbly cookie that isn't too sweet but with a nice crunch and covered in sugar. What's not to like?

Did you know that mother's in Greece compete during their daughter's and son's marriage to see who makes the best wedding cookie? This is probably to stop the bickering and sidelong glances with upturned noses and whispered 'he/she isn't good enough' insults you think? Perhaps. Perhaps it is just to see who will have the most crowded kitchen at holidays with babies and such. Who knows? Perhaps the wedding cookie is the epitome of what makes a good cook a good cook.

This is not an easy cookie to bake, actually. Seems as if it should be as it only has a total of four ingredients, but it is not easy to conquer and there is only so many mistakes that confectioners sugar can cover up!

I know I have never been able to get them right but I keep trying. Especially when the weather changes and it starts to go towards the holidays, then I think

"I want a wedding cookie, maybe they will turn out right this time!"

(Sigh)

Course just because I haven't accomplished it yet in fifty-eight {cough}....never mind that.

Where were we? Oh yes, the perfect cookie. It begins of course with butter and confectioners sugar. Not much of anything else, as I said, just pecan pieces and vanilla extract, butter, flour and confectioners sugar. That's it.

There are variations on this cookie from almonds to dried pineapple but really who are we kidding here? The wedding cookie remains as stated at the beginning with pecans and vanilla extract.

Creaming the sugar and butter must not take long or the dough will be tough and the flour must be pre-sifted and added gradually, not dumped all in at once, for the same reason. Finally with the shaping, you are not supposed to put a teaspoon full in your palm and squish it so the inside of your hands becomes the design! Whoever did that (bbethard) in this picture should be pelted with her own wedding cookies! The very idea! I don't care if they did taste OK and so what if her hubby ate them anyway! She should have respect for the dough!

bbethard would never win the mothers best wedding cookie contest!

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 and 1/4 cup flour (sifted twice)

3/4 cup pecan pieces

1/4th teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Mix butter, sugar and extract

Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together

Shape into one inch balls

Place an inch apart on cookie sheet

Bake at 400 degress Fahrenheit for 10 minutes until set but not brown

Roll cookies immediately in confectioners sugar then again when cooled

(Put up large sign warning partakers of this cookie not to breathe in at the same time they are eating!)