Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Chocolate Chip Mexican Wedding Cakes

I made these cookies a few weeks ago for my mom to take to a charity lunch. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. They are like miniature chocolate chip cookies with a twist. They have only a few ingredients and I love the warm flavor the cinnamon gives them. They have a smooth, almost flaky texture. They are super easy to make but are also pretty enough to be served at a party. You can use any kind of nuts you want. I have made them with pecans and hazelnuts. Also, they don't brown as they bake so just bake them for the given time and they should be done.



Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup finely chopped nuts
2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups (12-ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour, nuts, and cinnamon. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and light golden brown on bottom. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Microwave remaining chocolate chips in heavy-duty plastic bag for 30 seconds; knead. Microwave at 10 to 15 second intervals, kneading until smooth. (*Note: I usually just melt the chocolate in a small bowl and then transfer it to a plastic bag. It's easier to tell if it is all melted that way) Cut a tiny corner from bag; squeeze to drizzle over cookies. Refrigerate cookies for about 5 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.