Recipe: mexican wedding cookies

Jackie, I have several recipes, they are all very similar. This is the one I use.

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose or unbleached white flour

Decoration
1/2 to 2/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a large baking pan in the oven and toast, stiring frequently, for 9- 10 minutes, or until fragrant and very slightly tinged with brown. Remove from the oven and set aside until cooled completely. Grind the pecans to a powder using a nut grinder, food processor, or blender. Reset oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Grease several baking sheets and set aside.

Place the butter and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer on
on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 2/3 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until very fluffy and smooth. Beat in cooled ground pecans. Gradually beat in flour. If the mixer motor begins to labor, stir in last of the flour by hand.

Pull off dough pieces and roll between the palms into 1 1/4 inch balls. Spacaae them about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten balls slightly with the heel of the hand to form 1 1/2 inch discs.

Placae in the upper third of the oven and bake 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are just faintly tinged with brown at the edges and still pale in the center. Remove baking sheets from the oven and let stand about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, gently transfer cookies to wire racks and let stand until cooled
slightly. Sift powdered sugar generously over the cookeis and let them stand until cooled completely.

Store cookeis in an airtight container for up to a week. For best appearance, add an additional light sifting of powdered sugar shortly before serving. The cookies may also be frozen before sprinkling with ppowdered sugar, then thawed completely and decorated before serving.