Sand Tarts

As a child, when Christmas rolled around, we always knew we would be making these wonderful cookies. To this day they still remain my favorite! Not sure how it came to be that we called them Sand Tarts, but that's all I've ever known them to be (others call them Mexican Wedding Cookies).  On Christmas Eve, we would set them out on a plate for Santa along with a glass of milk. He (Santa) would always leave a note saying that he was so full, he just couldn't eat the last one and he'd place it inside the empty glass of milk. I guess maybe that's why one of my photos shows the spilled over glass with SEVERAL cookies in it. My mother still makes these cookies every year.

Sand Tarts
by Debbie

1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup nuts...pecans or walnuts (I would sometimes use a whole cup of nuts)

Mix the first 4 ingredients together until creamy. Add flour until mixed well. Add nuts and stir well.
Chill for 3-4 hours.

Roll dough into small balls, pressing the top of each to flatten a bit. Bake at 350°F for approximately 13 minutes. (Ovens vary and can cook in as little as 10 minutes - 13 minutes.)

Remove from oven and let cool for about 2 minutes. While cookies are still warm, roll in more powdered sugar and finish cooling.