CHOCOLATE-CHIP AND PECAN BALLS

"Roll these Mexican wedding cookies twice in confectioners sugar, first when the cookies are warm and again when cool, so they'll be snowy white when served."

3/4 cup pecans
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, divided use
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cut up, softened (no substitutions)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet-chocolate mini-chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In food processor, with knife blade attached, pulse pecans and 1/4 cup sugar until pecans are finely ground. Add butter and vanilla; pulse until butter is incorporated. Add flour and salt, and pulse until evenly moistened. Transfer dough to medium bowl; stir in chocolate chips.

With floured hands, shape dough by heaping teaspoons into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake cookies 20 to 22 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool slightly.

Place remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar in medium bowl. While still warm, gently roll cookies, one at a time, in sugar to coat. Place cookies on wire rack to cool completely. When cool, gently roll cookies in sugar again. Repeat with remaining cookies and sugar.

Store cookies in tightly covered container up to 3 weeks.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Source: Good Housekeeping magazine