Little Snowballs

By Dianewaldron

Nuts can be walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or substituded for a cup of flaked coconut or form the dough balls around a small piece of a milk chocolate bar or a couple of milk chocolate chips.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups melted butter (3 sticks, 3/4 pound)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar (that's confectioner's sugar)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour (no need to sift)
• 1 cup finely chopped nuts

Details

Cooking time 15mins

Preparation

Step 1

Melt the butter. Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Stir in the nuts. (If you work quickly, while the butter is still warm, the dough will be softer and easier to mix).
Form the dough into one-inch balls (just pat them into shape with your fingers), and place them on an UNGREASED baking sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Bake them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, until they are set but not brown.
Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes and then roll them in powdered sugar. (You must do this hwile they're still warm). Place them on a wire rack and let them cool thoroughly.
When the cookies are cool, roll them in powdered sugar a second time. Let them rest for several minutes on the rack, and then store them in a cookie jar or a covered bowl.