Mexican Wedding Cookies (Polvorones de Nuez)

POLVORONES DE NUEZ
(Walnut Cookies for Christmas)

In Mexico these are wrapped in papel de China, the brightly colored tissue paper that we call “Chinese.”

l/2        cup butter or margarine
2        tablespoons confectioners sugar, plus additional for dusting
l/2        teaspoon vanilla extract
l        cup sifted all-purpose flour
3/4        cup walnuts or pecans, very finely chopped but not ground

Preheat oven to 375 .

Cream butter until very light. Add sugar and vanilla and beat for l or 2 minutes more. Gradually beat in flour; stir in the walnuts.

Shape dough into l-inch balls, using about l tablespoon of dough for each.

You should have 24 cookies. Place them about an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake on second highest shelf of oven for l5 minutes, turning cookie sheet once so that they will bake evenly. They should be only lightly colored.

Carefully transfer cookies to a rack and let cool completely. Roll in sifted confectioners sugar and wrap like party favors in colored tissue paper.

YIELD: 2 dozen.