Hawaiian Wedding Cake Cookies — The Ones That Fill a Kitchen With Something Worth Keeping

Summer. Boulder day with Sofia, college talk.

I made mexican wedding cookies for the family this week. The kitchen filled with the smell that mexican wedding cookies makes. Lisa and the kids ate around the table. The conversation was about the week, the kids' activities, the small ordinary news of a household in motion. Diego called from CSU and said hello. The twins ate too much. Sofia ate the right amount. Lisa ate slowly. I ate the rest.

The dog tags were under the polo. The chain was around my neck. Hector's ring is not on a chain yet. Papá is still alive. Mamá is still in Las Cruces. The road keeps bending. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

The cookies I made this week were that kind of simple — the kind that don’t ask anything of you except that you show up and make them. Hawaiian Wedding Cake Cookies are close cousins to what Mamá always called Mexican wedding cookies, and when I pulled them out of the oven, the kitchen smelled exactly right for a Saturday with everyone home. That’s reason enough.

Hawaiian Wedding Cake Cookies

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus 1 1/2 cups more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts (or pecans)
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted and finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add extracts. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts until just combined.
4. Incorporate dry ingredients. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in nuts and coconut. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the chopped macadamia nuts and toasted coconut until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
6. Shape the cookies. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons and roll between your palms into smooth 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the bottoms are just lightly golden and the tops are set but still pale. Do not overbake — these should stay tender.
8. First sugar coat. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, until just cool enough to handle. While still warm, roll each cookie gently in the remaining powdered sugar until fully coated. Set on a wire rack.
9. Second sugar coat. Once cookies are completely cool, roll them in powdered sugar a second time for a thick, snowy finish.
10. Store. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week — if they last that long.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 118 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 18mg