Melting Moments
from http://www.joyofbaking.com/

Melting Moments made with a piping bag. They are
often topped with a red or green candied cherry.

Melting Moments are often made in the same way as Mexican Wedding Cakes, and, thus, look very much like Mexican Wedding Cakes. They are rolled into round balls and are coated with confectioners sugar after they come out of the oven. Both are a shortbread-like cookie that rely on butter for their wonderful flavor. But there are a few differences between these two cookies; one is that Mexican Wedding Cakes contain ground nuts, and the other is that Melting Moments replace some of the flour with cornstarch (corn flour) so the cookies literally "melt-in-your-mouth".

You may have seen Melting Moments that look very different from Mexican Wedding Cakes, as in the picture to the right. Sometimes the dough is placed in a piping bag with a fluted tip and then piped into rosettes. The finishing touch is to top each cookie with a red or green candied cherry . Other times the dough is rolled into a crescent shape with the ends sometimes dipped in melted chocolate.

FMM: These cookies are not sweet at all and could definitely use the dusting of confectioner's sugar or the bottoms could be dipped in melted chocolate. I put a cherry quarter in the center as in the picture and this also did not add that much sweetness.

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (30 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:
1 cup (110 grams) powdered (confectioners) sugar, sifted

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. [Don't use the parchment paper with a cookie press. The cookies don't stick to the paper well enough to pull up the press to complete the cookie.]

When dough is firm, form into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets spacing about 1 inch apart. [Or use a Spritz cookie press and form rosettes or other shapes. Place half a candied cherry in the center. I found the piping bag impossible - the dough is just too stiff and I could not squeeze the dough out.]

Bake for about 12 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about half of the confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar onto the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Put the remaining sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar).

These cookies store very well. Place in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper and they will keep a couple of weeks.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies [I got 30 cookies using a cookie press].