Sugared Pecan Balls

This recipe is more of a shortbread. Make the cookies small because they are crumbly. If you make them right they should melt in your mouth. They are also called 'Russian Teacakes' or 'Mexican Wedding Cakes'. Mix: 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar Stir in: 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour 3/4 cup finely chopped nuts 1/4 teaspoon salt Shape into balls and bake at 400o until very lightly golden brown on bottoms of cookies. Cookies puff a little but will not spread. While cookies are still hot, roll in: Powdered sugar Gently toss hot cookies in the powdered sugar. Cool on wire rack. (this creates a lightly sticky coating) After cookies have cooled...gently toss, again, in powdered sugar. I think you'll find this recipe delicious. I've been making them for over 20 years.

I was terribly disappointed in this recipe. The first batch was so terrible (consistency and flavor) I thought I must have done something wrong, so I spent the time and money to redo it again and there was no improvement. The consistency is just awful and there was so little flavor...after the second batch I was speechless. I made two other cookie recipes from this issue and they were fab! Also found another pecan ball recipe with less butter, fewer pecans and less flour and they turned out great. Thank you for the inspiration at least :)

Could these be frozen and then defrosted for serving? Or would the sugar get messed up?

I love these cookies and make them every christmas. I thought I would try something different and use this recipe this year but was hesitant to use kosher salt since the salt is more coarse than table salt and thus less likely to blend in with the rest of the ingredients. Against my better judgement, I went ahead and used kosher salt and was horribly disappointed. The cookie itself is melt in your mouth, but unfortunately while it's melting, you also get bursts of saltiness here and there. Not the taste experience I was going for. However, family members who tried the cookie had no complaints. I can't understand what using kosher salt in this recipe does for the cookie? Salted sweets are common now, perhaps that was the goal with this recipe??