This is my grandma’s recipe for the classic Meltaways cookie. They are very similar to a Mexican wedding cookie or Russian Tea Cakes with lots of butter and sugar and finely chopped nuts. The end result is light and airy and just melt in your mouth. Meltaways are one of those cookies you just can’t stop eating.
An important first step in making these is to toast your nuts. Do not skip this step as it adds so much flavor and is definitely worth it! Also, make sure you mix these long enough. The step where you cream the butter and sugar says to mix for 20 minutes or so. You’ll really see the mixture change texture and color if you go that long. It’s important to get the texture right! And in the next step, after adding the flour, a good 10 minutes of stirring helps bring it all together and prevents you from having a really crumbly cookie.
When scooping the Meltaways to bake, I just used a cookie scoop which gives you a pretty “rustic” looking cookie. You can also spoon out a tablespoon or so of dough and form it into a smooth ball. Alternatively, some people form them into crescent moon shapes which gives a more polished presentation in case they’re going on a cookie tray. It’s also very common to roll the final cookie in more powdered sugar so it’s well coated and fluffy white. And a lot sweeter!
When giving this recipe a try, feel free to try another type of nut. Almonds would be great! If you make this recipe I’d love to hear what you think in the comments or share a picture of your results with me on Instagram (@BDHBakes).
