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??

37 comments:

Simply LKJ said...

What a sweet story! Loving all the cookie recipes. I will be baking later this week for our daughter's party on Saturday night and I am loving all the ideas. Those snowman tags are adorable!!

Michelle said...

Yum! And I love the bags.

Amanda said...

I love this packaging! Loving all the cookies so far!

Amy G said...

Those cookies look amazing and I love the snowmen bag ties! I sent you an e-mail yesterday with my address and everything! Let me know if you didn't get it! Happy Tuesday!

Jamie Leigh said...

I love Christmas cookie posts! They all look delicious, and I am LOVING those cute snowman tags!

Unknown said...

mmmmmmm... another one of my favorites! :)

Jenn @ Bliss to Bean said...

OH now I have always wondered what kind these cookies were!! And you are too cute, right down to the darn white tag!! Go girl! :)

CALLIE said...

Yum!! Now I'm hungry. Must go find something to eat. Chick-Fil-A here I come ha!

Susan said...

That's the sweetest story about your parents! Ahh I love that. Those look oh so delicious! Have a lovely Tuesday Meg!

viv said...

Yummy! These look delish! Thanks for sharing :)
fashiontruffles.blogspot.com

Natalie said...

Oh these look tasty! And a sweet story too :)

Lacy in the Sky with Diapers said...

Dear santa please bring me a kitchenaid mixer PLEASE!! Thanks!!! Love the little snow man ties!!

Ruthie Hart said...

you are one baking machine!

Hilliary Meisner said...

What a sweet story! I love that your sharing special things about your family with the cookie recipes! Once again another delicious looking recipe!

Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Amanda said...

I love pecans so these look great!!

navy and orange said...

looks yummy.

xoxo navy & orange

Amanda said...

I'm craving cookies now, Meg! Killin' me!

Anna Elder said...

That's such a sweet story - great family tradition! And mmmmmmmm, they look delicious!

Daniela said...

I love the snowmen!!!

Laura said...

That is a cute story! And I love those cookies too...I recently discovered them and made some for Thanksgiving dinner- yum!!

paislea said...

yay for cookies!!! these look so delicious!!

allister bee blog

birdie to be said...

I love these kind of cookies!

Jennifer @ Delightfully Noted said...

Such a cute story....and now these are my ALL time favorite cookies. Funny story, but a few years I ago I went to make these for my family get together and somehow I managed to not realize that I forgot to add the flour.....I went to open the stove to show them off to my brother and it was a cookie sheet of melted butter....hahaha To this day he never lets me forget that story!

sherri lynn said...

These cookies look really good! I'm in the process of making Christmas cookies now and we're decorating them tonight! Christmas cookies are just so fun :)

Those little snowman ties are SO Cute!

Alexa said...

Yum. Meg...I need your help with my cookies..they can never seem to get done!

Sarah said...

Those snowman clasps are awesome. These look amazing. I'm totally making cookies as gifts this year so I may need to snag this recipe.


- Sarah
http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com

★ JASMINE ★ said...

awesome blog girlie! Looks like some mighty tasty recipes!!

follow eachother?
www.barbie-bombshell.blogspot.com

Screaming Sardine said...

What a sweet and romantic story. :)

Thanks for sharing the recipe. It looks really yummy. Wish I could have some right now!

Cheers,
Tracy Screaming Sardine

REBrown said...

What a fun story!

I'm loving all the cookies this week.

Mrs. Pancakes said...

creative..and the cookies looks delicious!

Val said...

What a cute story and these cookies look out of this world good.

BeckyJo606 said...

What a sweet story! What are you doing with all of your cookies? I'm sure your friends/neighbors/co-workers are loving this baking week!! Everything looks so yummy--including these! :)

Love Sweet Love said...

Awwww, I love that story!! But seriously, I can already tell this cookie week is going to be the death of me! :)

natasha {schue love} said...

I love the story behind the cookies!! So sweet! Thanks so much for linking up today! :)

marie said...

Maybe your dad doesn't bake, but you'd be surprised what people do in the name of love.

I happen to love those cookies very much.

Katie {katie lately} said...

I make these every year too!! Love these cookies!! :) And what a cute story about your parents.. I'll choose to believe it too!

Rod and Alex - aka: "Rolex" said...

Once again, you've outdone yourself! These look fabulous! And I love your story! :)

I just got back from a mini hiatus from blogging and I see you've changed your format! It looks really nice! :)