Christmas cookies–little round butter cookies shaped like a snowball and known by many names. These cookies are flaky, light and delicious–a bit messy to eat mind you, because the powdered sugar on the outside tends to explode over one’s shirt, but ah, well worth the sacrifice!

1 cup butter, (or margarine) softened to room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups of flour

3/4 cups chopped pecans

Extra powdered sugar for finishing.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla, stir well. Add flour and mix well. Add chopped pecans and mix. Note: Finer chopping of the pecans makes it easier to form the cookies into balls. Larger chunks tend to make lumpy cookies and the pecans may fall away from the main ball as you try to compress them into shape.

Chill dough for at least an hour. Compress about a tablespoon of the flaky cookie mix into a firm, round ball. Place on cookie sheet. These cookies will not rise or change shape during cooking so you can place them fairly close together.

Cook at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are just lightly browned. When cooked, remove from oven. Cool for two to three minutes and then roll the cookies in powdered sugar. A second coating of sugar may be added after the cookies have cooled more.

These look wonderful on a gift plate.