Grandmas Pecan Balls From Aunt Katie Recipes

GRANDMA'S PECAN BALLS (FROM AUNT KATIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cream butter with sugar.
• Add flour and pecans, mix well.
• Roll into balls, about the size of a large gumball, and place on a cookie sheet (I prefer to line mine with parchment, but I'm sure cooking spray would do.).
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned.
• While still warm, roll in superfine sugar - this is important because the dough does not have much sugar.

GRANDMA'S PECAN BALLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, blend together butter and sugar; stir in vanilla and flour. Fold in pecans. Roll dough into walnut-size balls and arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. While still warm, sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar; sprinkle again before serving.

GRANDMA'S PECAN TASSIES

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup butter and cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add flour gradually, beating at low speed. Shape mixture into 48 balls and place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease the cups of a mini-muffin pan. Press 1 chilled dough ball into each cup and shape into a tart shell.
• Whisk brown sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in 1 1/4 cups pecans. Spoon mixture into tart shells. Top with the remaining pecans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookie shell are delicately brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Gently remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.

PECAN BUTTER BALLS

Steps:

• If you prefer, you can substitute the pecans with walnuts, almonds, or filberts. I prefer the pecans to give this cookie a bit of sweetness.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit; high elevation use convection if you can; or bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Sift flour (very important to do this for lighter cookies), sugar, and salt in medium to large bowl.
• Cut up butter into workable pieces, add to flour, and add vanilla.
• Mix as if you were making a pie crust; should look like beads or pea size. Use hand or sturdy spoon to mix well enough to form dough ball.
• Add and work in 2 cups of the nuts.
• Shape into 1-inch balls. You can refrigerate dough for about an hour if you think it will be easier to work with; I have not needed to.
• Roll balls in the remaining 1 cup nuts.
• Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for about 25 minutes; may take 5 extra minutes, depending on the elevation.
• You can remove them right away to a wire rack to cool.
• You can use this same recipe for Wedding Cookies, just omit the 1 cup nuts for rolling and roll in powdered sugar instead. Bake the same amount of time.

GRANDMA'S PECAN COOKIE BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Cream shortening in a bowl with an electric mixer. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar gradually; cream thoroughly. Add flour, pecans, and vanilla extract and blend.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, baking in batches if needed.
• Bake in the preheated oven on one of the top racks until lightly golden, about 15 minutes, watching to be sure the bottoms do not burn.
• Remove from the oven and roll in some of the remaining powdered sugar while still hot. Let cool, 10 to 20 minutes. Roll again in powdered sugar.