Almond Snowball Cookies

Mom and I started our own Christmas tradition years ago, when we decided to join forces, and bake all of our families favorite treats in one day.  It seemed like the most logical solution for both of us, especially since we usually baked the same cookies and candy, and inevitably, ended up with way more than everyone could eat!  (Besides, you should see the two of us in the kitchen together!!!  Oh my-what a hoot!)

Christmas is all about traditions for our family, and we have many of them(most started by the queen of Christmas-mom)-but some of them were started the first Christmas after I married hubby.

It was that Christmas, when I first found out that hubby's FAVORITE Christmas cookie was Snowballs,(or in these parts-better known as Russian tea cakes).

I have to say-I was pretty darn impressed with his good taste-because seriously, who doesn't love those buttery bites of deliciousness?  And I'll admit, I think I fell in love with him even more, after he gobbled up a few cookies, and his face was covered in powdered sugar!

Which is why I decided that year to make up a batch of these yummy treats, two weeks before our annual bake off-as a special prelude to Christmas-just for hubby!

Unfortunately, one year later, hubby became very ill with diverticulitis, and was warned that eating certain foods like nuts, could have been the cause.

So we took heed of the doctor's warning-and our house became a 'NO NUT ZONE!'.  (Okay, so their might be a few nuts living in this house-but their not edible!)

But what's a girl to do when it's time to bake her hubby's favorite Christmas treat which can't include that forbidden ingredient that gives them special crunchiness and flavor?

Well.....she improvises.

The result?

Perfection (if I do say so myself), without the nuts!

Just so you know-I'll be taking this plate of cookies up to my office after I share my recipe with you and end this post.

I'm sure my sweater will be filled with crumbs and powdered sugar-as will my keyboard in no time-but that's okay-no one can see me!!!

Have an amazing day!

I'll be sharing over at these wonderful blogs today-so stop over and be inspired!!!

From my Front porch to yours
Katherine's Corner

Almond Snowball Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter (original recipe says ‘or’ margarine, but why would you want to do that to your taste buds?)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

**additional powdered sugar for coating

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine powdered sugar, butter, salt, and almond extract.  Mix well.  Slowly add flour.  Chill dough for at least 1 hour.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until set but not brown.  Roll cookies in powdered sugar immediately.  Let cool-then roll cookies in powdered sugar again.

Blessings,

Christine