Pecan Butterballs
These tender, melt-in-your-mouth pecan butterballs are rolled in powdered sugar while warm—a classic holiday cookie.
Ingredients
unsalted butter (softened)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks)
confectioners’ sugar (plus about 1¼ cups for coating)
½ cup
pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons
salt
¼ teaspoon
all-purpose flour
2¼ cups
finely chopped pecans
¾ cup
Instructions
1
USING
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix in the flour on low speed until just combined. Stir in the pecans. Use your hands to gather the dough into a ball in the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. (If refrigerated for longer, the dough will become very firm, but it will soften after sitting at room temperature for about 1 hour.)
2
PREHEAT
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
3
PINCH
Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into 1-inch balls; place on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1.5 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden and the tops are just beginning to color. (If using 2 baking sheets, rotate them from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes
4
PLACE
Place the remaining 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl. While the cookies are still warm, roll them in the sugar to coat. (Be gentle, as the cookies are fragile.) Place them on a rack to cool. Roll the cookies in the sugar again before serving or storing
