My Favorite Christmas Cookies

Betty Crocker

Every year, my family makes Russian Tea Cakes for Christmas. These shortbread cookies are known by many different names (Mexican, Danish, or Italian Wedding Cookies, or in parts of my family, Butterballs), but they are my absolute favorite Christmas cookies. We usually make them several weeks before Christmas because they only get better with age, but they're also delicious as soon as they cool. If you'd like to make them for Christmas, just follow my family recipe.

Russian Tea Cakes
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for rolling
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla, flour, and nuts to make a stiff dough. Roll into small balls, flatten, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until just barely brown. Remove to racks. Roll each warm cookie in powdered sugar, twice. These cookies will keep for weeks in a tightly closed container, but only if you hide them.