Easy Christmas Cookies

I got this recipe from my very dear friend, Kara, last Christmas. These are super easy, your kids can help (hey, even the LG helped with these twice this week) and they look really pretty in a little box or bag for giving away.

Mexican Wedding Cakes (or Russian Tea Cakes)
Cream together:
1 cup softened butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup icing sugar (that's 'powdered' sugar to my American friends)
1 tsp. vanilla

Then Add:
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts (we use pecans)
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix the dry ingredients in until they dough starts to stick together. Let chill for about an hour. While the oven is preheating to 400 degrees, roll the dough into little balls. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are: slightly firm, slightly brown, and have a few surface cracks. Let them cool on papertowels on wire racks but while they're still warm, roll them in icing sugar. Then, when they're completely cooled, roll them in icing sugar again.

VARIATION: We decided to try some without nuts too and they turned out great! Replace the vanilla with 1/2 tsp. of almond flavouring and replace the nuts with the zest from two oranges. Everything else is the same.

Don't eat too many!