These delicious cookies are great for the holidays because their light fluffy texture and sugar dusting reminds many of snow- and they're often called snowballs in American cookbooks. The original recipe from Spain was made with almonds but the buttery pecan makes for a more indulgent cookie- a real holiday treat.
Ingredients
½ cup Pecan Halves
2 ½ cups Confectioners' Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 cup Unsalted Butter
½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 ¾ cups All-purpose Flour
Put pecans, 1 cup of the sugar and salt in food processor and blend until nuts are ground fine. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and add it to nut mixture with processor running. Process until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Add flour and continue blending, using pulse mechanism of processor.
Scrape dough into a bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop dough with tablespoon and form 1-inch balls by rolling dough between palms (lightly flour hands, if necessary). Place balls 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 15 minutes or until the cookies barely begin to brown. Cool for 2 minutes. Use small spatula to lift cookies from sheets. Roll the cookies in the remaining sugar.
