Walnut Snowball Cookies

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups ounce(s) walnuts
• 2 stick(s) unsalted butter room temp
• 1/2 vanilla bean split, scrape seeds & set aside
• 2 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 2 cup(s) all purpose flour

Preparation

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets w/ parchment paper. Spread walnuts on rimmed baking sheet and bake fo about 8 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then coarsesly chop. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees.
2. In standing mixer fitted w/ paddle, beat butter with vanilla bean seeds at high speed until pale, about 2 minutes. Add 1 c. confectioners' sugar and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down side of bowl halfway through. At low speed, mix in salt, gradually add flour and walntus, beat until cookie dough comes together, scraping down side of bowl halfway through.
3. Roll level TBsp of dough into balls and arrange on prepared cookie sheets. Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven for about 17 minutes until slightly browned on bottom; switch cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let cool on sheets about 5 minutes, transfer to rack to continue cooling slightlyl
4. Put remaining 1 c. confectioners' sugar in small bowl. Roll slightly warm cookies in sugar to coat and return to rack to cool completely. Roll again in sugar.
5. Can be stored up to 5 days in airtight container.