Southern Pecan Butterballs from Hollis S.

2/3 cups nuts (pecan, walnuts, hazelnuts)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of the oven.

Toast nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool. Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste).

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. cover and refrigerate the dough for about one hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Form the chilled dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until th edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the 1 cup sifted powdered sugar in a bowl. Take the still hot cookies and roll them in the sugar, one at a time. Place on a wire rack to cool. Or you can simply place the powdered sugar in a strainer and sift the sugar over the tops of the cookies. Let cool completely before storing. Can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks. 

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.