Pecan Snowball Cookies

Pecans are very southern.  Whether you put them in pies, pralines, or these yummy cookies, pecans make the holidays better.  One of my favorite Christmas memories is sitting at the kitchen table with my daddy while we cracked and shelled pecans.  Later, my mama would use those pecans to bake up something delicious.  It's funny how I remember that clearer than any present I ever got.  I think the older we get, the more we realize what holidays are truly about.

Maybe you can bake up these cookies and some holiday memories, too.

PECAN SNOWBALL COOKIES

1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar + more for coating cookies
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 TBS vanilla extract
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a mixer, cream the butter for a few minutes.  Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and salt.  Cream until fluffy.  Add pecans and vanilla.  Blend in flour gradually.  Don't over mix.  As soon as the flour is incorporated, shape into small balls (about 1 tablespoonful).  Place on a cold, ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until very lightly browned.  Do not over bake or they will get dry!  Sprinkle some powdered sugar over the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.  Then, transfer to a rack and let them cool completely.  Put about 1 cup of powdered sugar in a zip bag.  Place cooled cookies in the bag.  Gently roll the cookies in the powdered sugar.  Store at room temperature or in the fridge.

Here's what they look like:

Little snowballs!  So cute!

And on the inside:

The pecan flavor really shines through.  Plus, the sweetness of the sugar on the outside is perfect.

This yields about 20 or so depending on how big you make them. The recipe is really easy to double if you want to make more.

For a variation you could use almonds instead of pecans with almond extract.  They would taste like little wedding cakes!

So, bake up some memories this Christmas.  They'll be delicious!