1 ½ cup fine chopped pecans
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter (slightly softened)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
Decoration
½ cup powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a large baking pan. Place in the oven and toast, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until fragrant and very lightly tinged with brown. Remove from the oven and set aside until cooled completely. Grind the pecans to a powder using a food processor. Reset oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Grease several baking sheets and set aside.
Place the butter and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer or medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until very fluffy and smooth. Beat in cooled ground pecans. Gradually beat in flour.
Measure the dough into a 1 3/4" inch scoop. Place the balls 1 ½ inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Place in upper third of the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are just faintly tinged with brown at the edges and still pale in the centers. Remove baking sheets from the oven and let stand about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, gently transfer cookie to wire racks and let stand until cooled slightly. Sift powdered sugar generously over the cookies and let them stand until cooled completely.
