Nut Fingers/Good Housekeeping

These old-school butter cookies from Good Housekeeping have a sandy, crumbly texture that practically dissolves on your tongue. The secret is cornstarch blended with flour, which inhibits gluten development and creates that ultra-tender, shortbread-like bite. Toasted walnuts folded into the dough add a nutty richness that pairs beautifully with the vanilla and powdered sugar finish.

Shaping is simple but worth doing right. Roll each tablespoon of dough into a thin 6-inch rope, then cut it in half to get uniform finger-length cookies. They bake at a low temperature, which dries them out gently without browning too much. You want just the edges to turn golden. Pull them too late and they go from tender to dry in a hurry.

The dough can feel crumbly at first. If it won’t hold together after mixing, knead it briefly right in the bowl until it forms a smooth ball. The warmth of your hands softens the butter just enough to bring everything together.

Chef Tips

• Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking often. Raw walnuts taste flat and slightly bitter compared to toasted ones.
• Dust the confectioners’ sugar on while the cookies are still slightly warm so it clings better.
• Use real butter, not margarine. The flavor difference is dramatic in a cookie this simple.
• These freeze beautifully before the sugar dusting. Bake, cool completely, freeze in a single layer, then dust with sugar after thawing.

Variations

• Replace walnuts with toasted pecans or almonds and add ¼ teaspoon almond extract alongside the vanilla.
• Roll the warm cookies in confectioners’ sugar twice (once warm, once cooled) for a thicker, snowball-style coating. Great for holiday cookie trays.
• Add 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest to the dough for a bright citrus note.