Basic Dough: Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Fluffy:

Mix in vanilla extract. Measure 3 and 1/2 cups of flour into small bowl. Stir in salt. Add flour mixture 1/2 a cup at a time, mixing thoroughly to form, a stiff dough (you may need to add a little more flour if dough still looks oily).

Divide dough into halves; place one half in second bowl. Into first bowl of dough mix in almond extract and 3/4 cup of pecans. In the second bowl of dough mix in walnut. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.

Pecan Dough: Scoop teaspoonfuls of dough, and roll into 2 inch logs. Place logs onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies for 9 - 11 minutes at around 375-400F (watch carefully so that they do not brown other than a bit on the undersides). Transfer to cooling rack. Cool thoroughly.

Melt chocolate chips in small bowl over hot water.

Place reserved 1/4 cup chopped pecans into small bowl. Dip one end (top only) of each cooled cookie in chocolate then dip in chopped pecans. Place on wooden board for a few minutes to harden before storing. In this pictures the pecan logs are the ones in the back on the left. Store in airtight container.

Russian tea cakes / Mexican wedding cakes: Scoop teaspoonfuls of dough, and roll into 3/4 - 1 inch balls. Place balls on un-greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake cookies for 9 - 11 minutes at around 375-400F(watch carefully so that they do not brown other than a bit on the undersides). Transfer to cooling rack. Cool thoroughly. Place powdered sugar in small bowl. Toss cooled cookies one at a time into bowl, coating thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.

Un-powdered and un-dipped cookies freeze well (up to 3 months).

Now that you have learned how to make pecan logs, russian tea - mexican wedding cakes, please be sure to view these other cookies recipes. Also, you will love these Russian recipes.