Madeleine Clouds

Melt-in-your-mouth rich, buttery shortbread cookies are known by several names: Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, Greek kourambiedes, or, in the United States, butterballs, which often appear at Christmastime. I have adapted this recipe from that of a dear friend’s Greek mother. It calls for hazelnuts, but feel free to substitute walnuts, pecans, almonds, or your favorite nuts. Also, you might want to dust off your stand mixer, which will produce a spongier, more cakelike m