Russian Tea Cakes / Mexican Wedding Cakes (Cookies)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup toasted pecans or walnuts or hazelnuts
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered or icing sugar)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

TOPPING

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted (powdered or icing sugar)

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. 2

   Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

3. 3

   Toast nuts. Place nuts on a separate baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes (or until lightly brown and fragrant) in a 350 degree F oven. Cool.

4. 4

   Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons of the flour for the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Or the nuts can be hand chopped until very fine. Set aside.

5. 5

   In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

6. 6

   Beat in the vanilla extract.

7. 7

   Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined.

8. 8

   Stir in the nuts.

9. 9

   Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.

10. 10

    Once the dough is firm, form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.

11. 11

    Bake about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.

12. 12

    Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

13. 13

    Roll the semi-cool cookies in the sifted powdered sugar and return to rack to cool completely.

14. 14

    Store in airtight container for up to 10 days.