Mexican wedding cakes & Russian tea cakes

According to several food history sources and cookbooks, Mexican wedding cakes and Russian tea cakes (aka Biscochitos/Mexico, Tea cakes/Sweden, Melting Moments /Australia, Mandulas kiflik/Bulgaria, Biscochos/Cuba, Kourabi‚des/Greece, Polvorones/Italy & Spain, Rohlichky/Ukraine and Sand Tarts, Sandies, Butterballs & Moldy Mice/United States) are a universal holiday cookie-type treat. This means this recipe is not necessarily connected to any one specific country. It IS connected with the tradition of saving rich and expensive food (the richest butter, finest sugar, choicest nuts) for special occasions.

Food historians trace the history of these cookies and cakes to Medieval Arab cuisine, which was rich in sugar. Small sugar cakes with nuts (most often almonds) and spices were known to these cooks and quickly adopted by the Europeans. This sweet culinary tradition was imported by the Moors to Spain, diffused and assimilated throughout Europe, then introduced to the New World by 16th century explorers. Sugar cookies, as we know them today, made their appearance in th 17th century. About sugar. Recipes called Mexican wedding cakes descend from this tradition. They first appear in American cookbooks in the 1950s.