Pecan Snowball Cookies

These Pecan Snowball Cookies are a classic holiday cookie that will be on repeat in your home, once you try our perfected recipe. These melt in your mouth, buttery cookies are also known as Russian Tea Cakes, and Mexican Wedding Cookies, and are bite sized snowballs of sweet shortbread, with crunchy pecans throughout, and covered in a dusting of powdered sugar.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Russian

Keyword: Cookies, Pecans, Shortbread, Snowball Cookies

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 135kcal

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans **

For Rolling:

1 cup powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

**For added flavor, toast your pecans first by spreading them out on a baking sheet. Bake them at 350 F for 5-10 minutes until toasted and fragrant. Watch them close to keep them from burning. Then let them cool before chopping and adding to the cookies.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Add the butter to a large bowl or stand mixer and beat it for 1 to 2 minutes, until its smooth and creamy.
Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat them well into the butter until light and creamy.
Add in the flour, and salt and mix it into the butter mixture until just combined.
Add in the pecan pieces and gently mix them into the dough.
Form the dough into 1inch balls, and place them onto the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch from each other.
Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookies are light brown, and the sides are firm.
Cool for about 5 minutes, then roll the cookies in the remaining powdered sugar.
Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, then roll then in the powdered sugar again and enjoy.

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