Italian Wedding Cookies

With Jennifer Scala McGrath

This cookie is an Italian favorite and easier to make than you would think.  It is similar to a Mexican Wedding cookie, but it uses butter and almonds instead of the Crisco and pecans in the Mexican version. There are other versions of a similar cookie such as the Russian Tea Cake and the Snowball Cookies by Laurel Tarantino that won the first annual Good Morning Gloucester Holiday Cookie Contest.

Jennifer Scala-McGrath of Cookies by Jenn says that you can make the batter up to a few days ahead and refrigerate, but be sure to bring the dough to room temperature before rolling into the balls.

As with many experienced bakers, Jennifer uses a stand mixer but if you do not have one you can mix by hand or with a hand mixer. She also uses parchment paper instead of greasing the pans, but again that would be your choice.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cup ground almonds
3 cups flour
A bowl of powdered sugar as needed for coating the finished cookies

Instructions

1. Mix the sugar and butter with mixer.
2. Add the almond and vanilla extracts with the salt. After mixing, add the almonds.
3. Add flour to the mix and incorporate all of the flour. It should only take about 20 seconds and be crumbly to the touch.
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, about golf ball size. Place on a baking pan that is greased or use parchment paper. Place the balls about 1 inch apart.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes. (Makes around 60 cookies)
4. When they cool, roll them in powdered sugar.

Recipe courtesy of Jennifer Scala-McGrath, Cookies by Jenn, 2011.

Born and raised in Gloucester, Jenn now resides in Concord NH with her husband and three boys - Anthony 16, Steven 11 and Nicky 8. The boys are the highlight of her life.

She grew up in an Italian Family where food was the center of everything. Jenn watched as a little girl her grandmother; mother and aunts bake cookies for the holidays. When she was “old enough,“ they would give her dough to play with and it made her feel so important and that is when she started to love baking and cooking.

Over the years her friends and family couldn’t wait for Christmas time (and for other holidays) because they enjoyed her cookies so much. For the past several years she has been employed at the Concord School District where her friends at work encouraged her to sell her cookies. 

In New Hampshire there are not many Italian bakeries and many people who have had Italian cookies in the past were very excited that she made them and that they no longer had to drive to Boston. In October of 2010 Jenn, along with two close friends, Richie and Michelle Noe, decided to open our business, Cookies By Jenn.  It has been a fun and interesting experience for them all and eventually they are planning a store front in Concord, NH, selling their specialty, cookie arrangements for all occasions.

At this time you can order small and large platters of assorted cookies in decorative platters for the holidays, birthdays, parties and other get-togethers at her web site, www.cookiesbyjenn.com. They are now available for sale at Lynnfield Deli, The Corner Store and Bob’s in Medford.