Snowballs

1 cup butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans)
confectioners sugar to dust or roll balls in when cool

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flavorings.  Stir in flour and chopped nuts and blend well.
Form dough into tiny balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350degrees for about 20 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are golden brown.
Roll cookies in confectioners sugar while still slightly warm. Optional dust with confectioners sugar instead of rolling.

Makes about 6 dozen tiny balls.

This recipe is also known as Butter Balls and has been in my recipe box since I was first learning how to bake. The size of the balls is actual teaspoon measuring spoon size. If larger balls are made these cookies are more similar to Mexican Wedding Cakes  or Italian Cookies but with different chopped nuts.  Original recipe called for finely chopped almonds. My recipe did not include an egg so the dough is on the dry side.  Similar recipes include an egg and then add flavoring like almond extract. I often add a teaspoon of butter extract flavoring.