1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for rolling
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Place two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven
and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake
for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
Soften the butter and cream it with the sugar until light and
fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and scrape the sides of the bowl. Grate the
nuts until powder fine and whisk them with the flour and salt. Add the flour
mixture to the butter mixer on low speed until a dough forms. Chill the dough at
least one hour and no longer than three hours.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, lightly flouring your hands
if needed. Place the balls 1 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for
15 to 20 minutes or until they barely begin to brown. For even baking, rotate
the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking.
Remove from the oven and cook the cookies on the sheets for 2
to 3 minutes. Place the confectioners' sugar for the coating in a bowl. While
cookies are still hot, roll them in the sugar and transfer to wire racks to cool
completely. Roll again in the sugar.
Storing: Place in an airtight container at room temperature
for about 1 month.
Per serving: 75 calories; 5 g fat (2.6 g saturated fat;
60 percent calories from fat); 7 g carbohydrates; 11 mg cholesterol; 43 mg
sodium; 1 g protein; 0.2 g fiber.
From
Rose's Christmas Cookies, by Rose Levy Beranbaum,
William Morrow and Company Inc., New York, 1990
