Mexican Tea Cakes

These cookies were my second contribution to ATH 305's cultural fiesta. They were easy to make only hours before the event (although I would suggest planning ahead... see my notes), and went over very well. I can always remember my mother making these as Christmas cookies, so it was interesting to see them in a new light.

Mexican Tea Cakes

Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients:

• 1 c. softened unsalted butter
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt

To Make:

1. Cream together butter and 1/2 c. powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla, and add flour, cinnamon, and salt until just combined.
2. Chill for at least 6 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 2 baking sheets.
4. Roll dough into 3/4 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. Immediately roll cookies in powdered sugar and let cool completely. After cooled, roll in powdered sugar again.

Some Notes:

• In the interest of time, I skipped the chilling in step 2. I would NOT recommend doing this. The cookies turned out slightly flattened (as you can see in the picture) instead of perfectly round.