Description
Pecan butterballs honor Georgia O’Keeffe’s southwestern culinary heritage with delicate nutty cookies. Rich almond flour and chopped pecans create elegant, powdered sugar-dusted treats perfect for afternoon tea or holiday gatherings. Bakers will savor this delightful connection to artistic tradition.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (473 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (220 g) finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar (for rolling)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey
- 3 teaspoons (15 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 300F (150C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease the surface.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Sift flour and salt together in a mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry base for the cookie dough.
- Butter Mixture Creation: Whip softened butter, honey, and vanilla extract until the mixture transforms into a smooth, creamy consistency that captures the essence of the ingredients.
- Dough Formation: Gradually fold the flour mixture into the butter base, combining with minimal stirring to prevent overworking the dough and maintain a delicate texture.
- Pecan Integration: Delicately fold chopped pecans throughout the dough, ensuring an even distribution of nutty richness and crunchy elements.
- Cookie Shaping and Positioning: Mold the dough into 1-inch spheres and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving adequate space between each cookie to allow for gentle expansion.
- Baking and Browning: Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, watching for a subtle golden edge that signals the cookies’ perfect doneness.
- Initial Cooling and Sugar Coating: Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes; while still warm, generously roll each cookie in powdered sugar, creating a luxurious, snow-like exterior.
- Final Presentation: Allow cookies to cool completely, with an optional second dusting of powdered sugar to enhance their ethereal, winter-inspired appearance before serving.
Notes
- Butter Temperature Matters: Ensure butter is softened at room temperature, not melted, for the perfect creamy base and consistent cookie texture.
- Gentle Mixing Technique: Mix dough minimally to prevent tough cookies; overmixing activates gluten and creates dense, chewy results instead of delicate butterballs.
- Uniform Cookie Size: Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to create consistent 1-inch spheres, guaranteeing even baking and professional-looking presentation.
- Powdered Sugar Coating Trick: Wait until cookies are just warm but not hot before rolling in powdered sugar to prevent clumping and achieve a smooth, even sugar layer.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg