Brielle's Avalon

I’ve also seen these called Polish wedding cookies and other people know them by other names. Mom used to make these every once in a while, usually for special events. Now I’m understanding why, since the technique is a bit tricky. I’ve looked all over for her recipe card (as well as about a half dozen others!) that I just can’t find, so I’ve had to look things up online and take a stab at recreating it.

This is basically a shortbread cookie with finely chopped nuts. Many recipes call for pecans but I used walnuts and I’m sure hazelnuts would work well, too. You already know how to cream/mix softened butter and sugar and mix in the flour, so I’m leaving off those pictures. I will mention, though, that the dough will seem more sandy than doughy, more so after the nuts are added in.

Finely chop the nuts of your choice and mix well. Yes, it’ll still be really sandy. The last recipe I looked at said to just keep mixing and it would eventually come together. That might be true with a stand mixer, but I don’t have one and got tired of stirring, so I just muddled through.

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened, creamed together with 1/2 c powdered sugar and 1 tsp Vanilla,

then mix in 1 1/2 c flour

and finally add 1/2 c finely chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts or whatever you have, even a mix if you don’t have enough of one kind.

It will be very crumbly and hard to manage, but work at it carefully. Take a spoonful at a time.

Press carefully into balls

Arrange on cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes

While still warm, roll in powdered sugar. It may melt a bit.

When cool, roll in powdered sugar again. This time it’ll stick well and look more like a snowball.

These are lovely served with tea…or anything else, really.