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Food & Wine Recipe

Toasted Walnut Cookies

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  • ACTIVE: 10 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
  • SERVINGS: MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN
  • •MAKE-AHEAD

These light, buttery balls are perfect at the end of dinner with port or coffee.

  1. 1 cup walnut pieces
  2. 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  3. 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  4. 1 cup all-purpose flour
  5. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  6. Pinch of salt
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and bake for 6 minutes, or until golden. Let cool, then finely chop. Leave the oven on.
  2. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the flour, toasted walnuts, vanilla and salt at low speed.
  3. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and transfer them to a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm, then let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Roll the warm cookies in the remaining 1 cup of sugar, then transfer to wax paper. Roll 2 or 3 more times in the sugar and let cool completely until set.
Make Ahead The cookies can be stored for 4 days in an airtight container.