Italian Bride’s Pecan Cookies (Pastelitos De Boda)

This is a pecan, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth, cookie, that's perfect in the winter season, as the powdered sugar dusted on the cookies resembles snow. These are surprisingly quick and easy to make. This is an American twist on a classic Italian recipe, as it is made with pecans rather than the traditional almonds or hazelnuts. It's from Gourmet Magazine (Nov. 1986) and is currently featured as one of "Gourmet’s Favorite Cookies: 1941-2008".

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus additional for dusting the cookies
• 1  cup pecans, ground fine in batches in a spice grinder
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup unsalted butter, softened

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F In a bowl sift together the flour, 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, the pecans and a pinch of salt, stir in the vanilla, and blend in the butter until the mixture is combined well.
2. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of the mixture, form them into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are golden around the edges.
3. Transfer the cookies to racks, let them cool slightly, and sift the additional confectioners’ sugar over them.