Russian Tea Cakes

• Servings: about 4 dozen cookies.

This cookie recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  A favorite aunt of mine always baked them for Christmas when they made a perfect match to a cup of hot chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar plus 2 cups extra for finishing the cookies
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not flavoring)
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

1. Cream together either by hand or using an electric mixer the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla.
2. Add the flour and salt and mix until completely combined.
3. Stir in the chopped nuts.
4. Chill the dough until it is firm, about 1 hour or longer.
5. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
6. Roll teaspoons of the dough into one-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet; they do not spread when baked so you can put them about one-inch apart on the cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until set but not brown.
8. While the cookies are still warm, roll them in confectioners' sugar. Let them cool on a rack and then roll them again in more sugar for an extra coating.
9. Store in an airtight container.