Jennifer's Holiday Cookies

There’s something about this time of the year, isn't there? Like bears preparing for the long winter ahead, we begin to crave high-calorie food -- not to mention it being a major holiday tradition. The urge to bake strikes me at this season, with some of my favorite things being homemade bread, pecan and sweet potato pies, chocolate pudding and cookies that include nuts.

Mexican Wedding Cookies are special treats made with walnuts that are scrumptious with hot tea, cocoa, coffee or a cold glass of milk. Also known as Russian Tea Cakes, they're easy to put together, so let’s get started.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

2 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cardamom (optional)

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1/3 cup powdered sugar for final dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Sift together flour, 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar, salt and cardamom. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture a little at the time, to form a soft dough. Add chopped nuts and mix until just blended. Using a cookie scoop or teaspoon, form into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Do not compress.

Bake 12 minutes. Let cool. Place remaining 1/3 powdered sugar in a small bowl and roll each cookie in it.

Makes two dozen cookies.

Notes:

Pecans, almonds or hazelnuts may be substituted for the walnuts.

For best results, do not substitute margarine for the butter.

Rolling the cookies before they cool will cause the powdered sugar to melt.

Additional cookies recipes can be found at: http://www.allrecipes.com

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Since publishing her first book at age 27, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over 65 historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her 8th-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana.

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