Auntie Beryl's Mexican Wedding Biscuits

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 175ºc and line two or three baking trays with baking paper and set aside for later.

Step 2: Put the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat them together on medium speed for 5 minutes or until they're light and fluffy.

Step 3: Using another bowl, thoroughly mix the nuts and flour together; tip the nut mixture into the butter mixture and stir them together until they're well combined. You might find it best to do this stirring together with a spoon rather than using the mixer as too much mixing can cause the biscuits to toughen as they bake.)

Step 4: Drop heaped teaspoonfuls of the biscuit mixture onto the prepared baking trays, leaving a few centimeters between each one so the biscuits can spread a little as they cook.

Step 5: Bake the biscuits for about 20 minutes; halfway through the cooking time, rotate the trays so they sit on different shelves and turn each tray around, back to front; this helps them to cook evenly. After about 18 minutes, start checking the biscuits — they will be ready when the tops are speckled with gold and the bottoms are golden-brown (lift them carefully to check as they're rather fragile at this stage).

Step 6: While the biscuits are baking, sift a thick layer of icing sugar onto a plate. When the biscuits are ready, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a minute or so on the baking trays; sit a few biscuits at a time on the icing sugar and sift more icing sugar over the top. Transfer them to a wire rack and leave them to cool. Repeat with all the biscuits.

Step 7: When they biscuits are completely cool, carefully stack the biscuits in airtight jars or containers and seal them tightly.

Step 8: They keep well in airtight jars or containers for 2 weeks.