Snowballs for a Hot June

It's been hot on the prairie

End of July and early August hot

But it's only June

The golden days of early summer to enjoy in the garden

were not to be

Instead it was hot

And garden chores

were -- well, a chore!

We relished time spent indoors

Where it was cool!

And tea time went from a pot of tea

To a pitcher of tea

Poured into a glass full of ice!

But there's always time for a nosh . . . 

And what better nosh on a hot and humid summer day

than

SNOWBALLS!

(at least looking at them you can feel cool!)

You know, snowballs, another name for that many named cookie

Always in any church or community cookbook

And so often on cookie plates at Christmas.

So often, in fact, most people think of them as Christmas cookies.

They go by the name of Mexican Wedding Cakes, Swedish Tea Cakes, Pecan balls,  Russian Tea Cakes, Butterballs,  and Martha Stewart's name of "Nut Balls".

This recipe is a bit different and will replace the one I usually use

It has a bit of nutmeg in the cookie dough which gives a pleasant surprise when you

bite into one.

One of my mother's iced tea glasses

filled with ice tea

And 4 snowballs for an indoor

early summer 

afternoon tea

SNOWBALLS

1 1/2 c. melted butter

3/4 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. nutmeg (freshly ground is best)

1/2 t. salt

3 1/2 c. flour

1 cup finely chopped nuts (we always use pecans)

Melt the butter.   Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.    Add the flour and mix thoroughly.    Stir in the nuts.   (If you work quickly, while the butter is still warm, the dough will be softer and easier to mix.)

Form the dough into one-inch balls and place them on an uncreased baking sheet, 12 to a standard sheet.    Bake them at 350 for 10 minutes until they are set but not brown.

Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes and then roll them in powdered sugar.   (You must do this while they're still warm.)    Place them on a wire rack and let them cool thoroughly.

When the cookies are cool, roll them in powdered sugar a second time.    Let them rest for several minutes on the rack, and then store them in a cookie jar or covered bowl.