Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup whole or chopped pecans
- 1–2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at 350F (your toasting time will be longer if using whole pecans, much shorter if using chopped ones — watch the oven like a hawk), tossing the nuts halfway through so that they toast evenly. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
- Grind the nuts finely using a coffee or spice grinder. You can use a food processor, the nuts won’t be as finely ground and you’ll get small pieces of pecan in your cookie. I much prefer the finer grind, but that may also be because I only have a coffee grinder and not a food processor — if you don’t have a coffee grinder, use the processor by all means.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
- Add the pecans, flour and salt. Beat until combined, about 1 minute. The dough will be extremely sticky.
- Flour your palms and begin rolling the cookies into 3/4-inch balls. Flatten them into discs, then place on a lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350F until the edges are just beginning to brown, 20-25 minutes.
- Sift powdered sugar on top of the cookies while still warm. Allow to cool before sharing. Or eating an entire batch yourself — I won’t tell.