Pecan Snowball Cookies

There are two types of cookies that stand out in my memory as being traditional on Christmas Eve-kolachy and these nut snowball cookies.  December 24th would find us standing around my Grandma's dining room table while eating a cucumber cream cheese bread appetizer and talking to relatives.  At some point someone would pull out a container of these nut cookies.  Some were shaped into balls and some in crescent shapes.  They are a little messy to eat because of the coating of powdered sugar, but the snowy white appearance is part of the charm of having these cookies at Christmas time.

I am posting two recipes for these nut cookies.  One is from the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook and is a little finicky, calling for superfine sugar and the use of a food processor.  I am also going to include a simpler recipe given to me by a friend.  I have not made her recipe, but have enjoyed her cookies and they are also delicious.

Pecan (or Walnut) Snowball Cookies
Yield: Makes about 48 small cookies
If you do not have superfine sugar, process granulated sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds.  If you make these cookies ahead, roll them again in confectioners' sugar before serving.
Ingredients:
2 cups (8 ounces) pecans or walnuts, chopped fine
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) superfine sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (6 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. Whisk 1 cup chopped nuts, flour, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.  Process remaining 1 cup chopped nuts in food processor until they are the texture of coarse cornmeal, 10 to 15 seconds (do not overprocess).  Stir nuts into flour mixture and set aside.

3. With an electric mixer, beat together butter and superfine sugar at medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until dough is cohesive, about 20-25 seconds.  Do not overbeat.

4.  Working with 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll into balls.  If the snowball shape is desired, place dough balls on baking sheets.  If crescent shapes are desired, roll each ball between your palms into a rope that measures 3 inches long.  Place ropes on prepared baking sheets and turn up ends to form a crescent shape.  Bake until tops of cookies are pale golden and bottoms are just beginning to brown, 17 to 19 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.

5. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.  Place confectioners' sugar in a pie plate or shallow bowl.  Working with 3 or 4 cookies at a time, roll cookies in powdered sugar to coat thoroughly; gently shake off excess.

Source: adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cookbook recipe for "Nut Crescent Cookies"

Pecan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for coating baked cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. Mix together flour, salt and pecans.  Set aside.

3. Blend together butter and powdered sugar.  Add vanilla and blend.  Mix in flour mixture just until incorporated.

4. Roll into balls (or shape into crescents) and place on baking sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

5. After cookies are cooled to room temperature, place about 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a ziploc bag.  Place a few cookies at a time in the bag and shake to coat with powdered sugar.

Source: adapted from my friend, Yvette