Besitos de Nuez1

September is known as the patriotic month; on September 16th we celebrate the Independence of Mexico. We love having an excuse to party, and at this time of year we organize dinners where food plays a veeeery important role. And you guess it right; it has to be 100% Mexican food. Next Saturday I will have a dinner party and I got to bring the dessert, so I thought about taking traditional Mexican candies. And obviously I’ll post the recipes on the blog!

 Besitos de Nuez3

The first candies are called Besitos de Nuez (literally meaning “Pecan kisses”), supposedly they got their name because they are like real kisses: small and delicious, leaving you wanting more. I knew the cookie version of the Besitos de Nuez with flour and butter, but in the book My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson, I found a recipe with only 3 ingredients: pecans, sugar and water. Apparently they are typical of a very traditional (more than 115 years old) candy store in downtown Puebla called El Lirio. Although they have sugar, the idea of ​​taking away the butter and flour gives me the impression that they are a little (just a little) healthier.

 Besitos de Nuez4

The results are these small sweet balls, super soft and not too sweet despite, the quantity of sugar used. I love any kind of nut, so I don’t have to say that I love these Besitos! More than a proper dessert I would eat them between meals as a sweet treat, or after a long run!  A plus is that they are super easy to do, also they are gluten-free and dairy-free!

Besitos de Nuez (Pecan Kisses)
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Total Time
40 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 194 gr (6.84 oz) pecans, toasted
  2. 110 gr (3.88 oz) sugar
  3. ¼ cup water
Instructions
  1. - In a food processor grind the pecans. Pulse a few times and then grind continuously, remove the lid and check the consistency. Don’t grind too much, if you do you will end up with pecan butter.
  2. - Put the sugar and the water in a medium size pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the ground pecans and stir constantly until thickened, between 5-10 minutes. The mixture should have the consistency of mashed potatoes. Let it cool for a couple of minutes, just so you can handle it, and then transfer to a food processor and grind into a smooth paste (just when it begins to gather into a ball).
  3. - With the help of a melon baller, make small balls. Shape them evenly.
  4. - Roll in sugar to coat.
  5. - To serve put them in small paper liners.
  6. Enjoy!
Adapted from My Sweet Mexico
Adapted from My Sweet Mexico
Sweet Cannela https://www.sweetcannela.com/

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