I finally took the GRE and the TOEFL exams last weekend! The GRE went better than expected, but the TOEFL was a bit awkward, especially the Speaking part, since I had to talk to a microphone and was surrounded by other people who were also taking the exam and were talking at the same time at their respective microphones. That’s the way the exam works though, and I’ll know the results in a couple of weeks. Now I “just” have to fill out every application, write my Statement of Purpose and ask for my letters of recommendation! It’s a really long process, so let’s hope it all turns out okay in the end.
On another subject, I recently baked these Mexican Wedding Cookies for a cousin’s birthday. Since they were a big hit, I also made them this last weekend when we celebrated my dad’s birthday in Madrid. They’re great with a cup of coffee or tea, and the second time around I used walnuts instead of pecans since I didn’t have any pecans and they were also really good. I think these cookies are more for grown ups – if you’re baking for a kid’s party I would stick to your typical chocolate chip cookies, for example. In fact, one of my younger cousins said that they were good, but that she preferred the brownies I usually make when I visit.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Recipe from Use Real Butter
- 200gr/7 oz butter, softened
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/3 cups powdered sugar (plus 1 cup for rolling) (I buy normal white sugar and powder it using the food processor)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
- Preheat oven to 160ºC/325ºF.
- Beat butter for about 30 seconds. Add in half of the flour, 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, vanilla extract and water and beat until combined.
- Mix in the rest of the flour and add the chopped pecans.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and bake for 20-25 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool and roll in the remaining cup of powdered sugar.
