Russian Tea Cakes, or Wedding Cookies

These cookies are so much fun to make, and delectable to eat. They go by many names, wedding cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Vanilla Snowballs, Russian Tea Cakes - but they are simply a sugar butter cookie made with nuts and rolled twice in confectioners sugar - really pretty cookies and quite easy to make. Nuts used are typically pecans or walnuts - but I didn't have either on hand so I used almonds, which works quite well. If you are anti-nut for whatever reason you can substitute 1 cup of old fashioned oats for the nuts!

Wedding Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 3/4 cup ground nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 - 2.25 cups all purpose unbleached flour
• 2 cups confectioners sugar for rolling

In a food processor, grind nuts. Add sugar and pulse to combine. Add butter and extracts and process until smooth. Scrape down sides if necessary. Add salt and flour and process until combined. Turn out onto wax paper, and either roll into 1" balls and place 1" apart on parchment lined baking trays, or roll into a log and refrigerate for 15 mins up to overnight to facilitate shaping. If dough gets too hard in fridge let sit at room temp for a bit. Bake at 325 for about 15-20 mins, do not let brown, just cook until tops are firm and bottoms start to color. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 mins, toss in a shallow bowl filled with confectioners sugar while still warm (just a few at a time, they are a little fragile at this point) Place on rack and let cool completely. Toss in powdered sugar, again. Store at room temp. in an air tight container on wax paper.