Everyone loves these sweet spot cookies; they’ve been on Christmas goodie trays forever. You know them. Round, nutty, buttery, tender, and oh-so-powdered-sugary white. They’re often called Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Kourabiedes, Snow Balls, Pastelitas de Boda, Nut Balls, Swedish Tea Balls, Pecan Butter Balls, Polvorónes, and they’re even a lot like the Viennese Almond Crescents my late brother-in-law and excellent cook, Art Moorhouse, baked only in December back in the day. When I knew I wanted to use pistachios and dried cherries for my annual Christmas cookie, my mind first went to a perennial favorite– shortbread. Maybe a rolled variety. A refrigerator cookie, which is a style I rarely bake. But the more I considered, I kind of liked the idea of a chunk of a cookie instead of a flat one– so the flavors jumped out in tandem instead of just nudged your taste buds in their direction a bit at a time. And the longer I thought, I also knew an orange twist needed to be right in there vying with the nuts and fruit. Why not a classic nut ball? Of course! It would work perfectly. The problem then was the name –all those variations! With several followers giving me ideas (thanks, guys!), I’m hoping “Pistachio-Cherry Tea Cakes” really says what they are. I dearly loved “Pistacheroos,” but it was taken by what else, a bar cookie. Whatever you call them, my newest version might be your new favorite, as it now is mine. I don’t eat a lot of sweets, but I’ve certainly had my hand in the cookie jar a few times these last few days.
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