Russian Tea Cakes II *

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
powdered sugar

Directions

1 Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2 Beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.
3 Stir in flour and salt.
4 Stir in nuts.
5 Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
6 Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
7 Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set but not brown.
8 Immediately remove from cookie sheet; roll in powdered sugar.
9 Cool completely on wire rack.
10 Roll in powdered sugar again.

Makes: 48

Editor's Note: In order to make the cookies easier to shape into balls, I used my Pampered Chef cookie dough scoop (pressing the dough in tightly, and using the thumb spring to release the dough onto the cookie sheet) and left them flat on the bottom. When they were done, I used a metal pancake turner to take them off of the pan (about 5 at a time) and put them into a bowl of powdered sugar and gently rolled around to do the first coat. I put them on a wire rack to cool as the directions stated, and then dropped them back in the bowl with powdered sugar to coat the second time. I followed the directions for the ingredients exactly and the 9 minute baking time is perfect. I have been looking for this recipe in the past and I am so glad I found it.

As these are the same as in the 1950's Betty Crocker cookbook, I grew up with these. It is just not the holidays without them - lovely and tasty!

* Flabbergasting Post Recipe