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Festive cookies that spread the joy of the season

Ok, so you are a total slacker and ran out of time to grab something for Grandma? Well, get in the kitchen and whip up a batch of snowball cookies. The recipe, courtesy of Heather Baird, the talented woman behind one of our fave foodie blogs, SprinkleBakes.com, is festive, delicious and, best of all, simple. Here's how it's done:

Snowball Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

2 cups flour, sifted
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar; beat until creamy. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Add flour and salt. Mix until partially incorporated and then add nuts. Mix until a thick, uniform dough forms.

Roll cookies into 1" balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden and fragrant. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool completely on the pan before trying to remove from the baking sheet. Coat cookies with a generous amount of powdered sugar.

For more mouthwatering recipes and to pre-order Baird's book, visit www.sprinklebakes.com