Christmas Cookie Week - Butterballs

Its Tuesday and Day 2 of my Christmas cookie week! First did you enter my giveaway for a pair of beautiful brass knot earrings?



These cookies are another staple in my household growing up and there is a bit of a back story to these cookies that I have to share and it is about my parents. When they were dating and had just graduated from college, my dad stayed in Indiana and my mom moved out to Phoenix and my dad was to move out there a year later. So a year passed and my dad moved out to Phoenix.

Well to greet my mom after their separation, my dad brought my mom a cookie jar full of these cookies called butterballs (also known as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies). My parents still have that cookie jar, and my mom makes these every year. Although I have my suspicions this story is a myth because besides bbqing, I have never seen my dad cook or bake. But I tend to believe this story because it is very cute and my parents are still together, married almost 32 years next March.

 For this family recipe, first, gather together your ingredients. 1 cup butter, 3 tablespoons vanilla extract, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoon water, 2 1/2 cup flour, 2 cups pecan, chopped, additional powdered sugar.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In your mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the vanilla. 

Add in the powdered sugar gradually.

 Then add the water and mix all the ingredients together well. 
Incorporate the flour and the chopped pecans in the butter mixture. 

Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch high and place them on your baking sheet. Roll all the dough into balls and then bake for 10-15 minutes. 

While the cookies are baking, pour powdered sugar into a low laying bowl. Take the cookies out of the oven and immediately roll them into powdered sugar then place the cookies on a rack to dry. 

When cooled, eat and enjoy and come back tomorrow
!

And here is the packaging idea for you today!

Source: vonfrau.com via Meg on Pinterest

And if you want a cute way to tie these bags, check out these snowmen! Aren't they darling??

Source: olderandwisor.blogspot.com via Meg on Pinterest