These lovely little treats are rather delicious. I heard about them from a woman who was a missionary to Austria. She would go to market and get these piled high in a brown paper cone and smothered in all that lovely powdered sugar. They are a family favorite for her family (and mine now) and this is their version.
Ingredients:
1 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, plus extra for rolling
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Cream together butter, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract with a mixer or by hand.
2. Mix together flour, nuts, and salt.
3. Then add the butter mixture to the flour, nuts, and salt and stir just until the dough holds together. You can add a couple of pats of softened butter if the dough seems too stiff.
4. Shape the dough in 1 inch balls and place close together on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 12-13 minutes until the cookies are firm but not brown.
6. Cool on a wire rack.
7. When cookies are cool enough to touch, roll in confectioner's sugar to cover completely.
This recipe makes 4 dozen small cookies or 3 dozen larger ones.