These cookies were made for our family by my Grandma Lizette every year that I can remember. I continued the tradition growing up and have made them with my children and for holiday gifts every year. No matter how busy the holiday season, not one has gone by that this cookie isn’t at the top of the list.
The ingredients are simple but using the best is important and for me that means good vanilla and butter. I admit that at one time in my young life I wasn’t so crazy about vanilla. How could that be you ask? Well, you know how good it smells when you open that bottle of real vanilla extract? I decided to sneak a sip when Grandma wasn’t looking and let’s just say, the magic happens somewhere in between the mixing and the baking because drinking it straight did not exactly give me the rewards I was looking for! Luckily I’ve moved beyond that experience, as well as moved beyond using artificial (anything) and always have a supply of both vanilla extract and vanilla beans on hand (yum, vanilla sugar).
I’ve recently found that toasting nuts prior to including them in baked goods makes for an even better flavor so this year we’ve included that spin with this old favorite. It’s not a requirement but does punch up the pecan flavor a bit. With a cookie called PECAN Butter Balls that’s not bad, right?
These are my favorite cookies of all time. If there were a cookie award that I made to my own cookies, they would win. Though there are versions I’ve seen and tasted called Mexican Wedding Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes, all include some slight variation on ingredients. My grandmother was neither Mexican or Russian so it’s a great example of how recipe traditions spread all over the world.
For me…I’ve seriously had none better than these. Maybe it’s my memories that make them my favorite. I will always think of that wonderful sweet woman I was lucky to call Grandma!
Pecan Butter Balls, Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 C butter
- 4 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 C flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 cups pecans, toasted for 5-7 minutes in 350 degree oven (just until you can start to smell the nuts from the heat), cool
- Confectioner’s sugar
Preparation
- Finely chop pecans. I use my food processor but if you don’t have one and are doing by hand, they do need to be finely chopped.
- Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix til thoroughly combined.
- Add flour and salt and mix thoroughly.
- Add nuts incorporate into dough; using a paddle attachment or your hands.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes (I’ll make the night before too, refrigerate and then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing)
- Roll into 1-inch balls and place one inch apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until set but not brown. Remove from oven and let set for 1 minute.
- Roll in confectioner’s sugar.
- Roll again if desired when cool.
- For a change, we will sometimes roll them in a combination of confectioner’s sugar and pastel colored granulated sugar; it makes for a very winter wonderland sort of look with blue, pink and purple sugars.
Makes 4 dozen cookies.
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for a great recipe! Made these for my school’s cookie walk. They are delicious!! Will be adding these to my annual Christmas cookies.
There is nothing that makes me happier than hearing from someone who is happy with a recipe! I have 12 dozen sitting on my table now ready to be packaged for holiday gifts! I tried something just a bit different this time and did like the results; we toasted the pecans just a bit prior to grinding them and it does make them even better! Thanks for letting me know!
Wow- what a great idea! Will make a note to try that next year.
I can’t believe how simple the recipe is nor can I believe that I have never had them. I think they are going on my list to bake this Christmas. I also think I share your addiction to vanilla :)
Do them, easy and so good. Sort of shortbread texture rolled into a ball with nuts.
I adore these cookies. They are so freaking easy and delicious.
Exactly! And for me, that memory of my Grandma is rolled into it too; so they are a must.
I dont care what you call it. Send me some. Love vanilla. Was just gifted some Bourbon Vanilla Pods. Hello!
Oh yum. I need some of those!
Love the post, the title and cookies barb. Excellent story, tradition and tea cakes. I am always in search of one. Wish hotel room service tea would have these, I would go and stay in a hotel just for these, heeheehe, as I cannot make them at home due to allergies. Have awonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!! Shulie
If you want vanilla to taste good straight out of the jar, try vanilla bean paste :)
http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/spices/vanilpaste.html
At The Spice House in Chicago, they have a tester jar with another jar of small cinnamon sticks sitting next to it. I was hesitant, because I tried extract straight as a kid, too. Oh my, this stuff is good! I’ve been hooked ever since. Savory Spice carries it, but doesn’t have a taster (one of the very few in the store w/o one!).
Savory Spice is on my list this weekend; I get excited like a kid in anticipation of going there and you’re right…very little there that you can’t taste before purchasing. I always include some small packs of spices in the gift baskets I make, yes it’s part of the gift but it’s also wonderful how it scents the package so when it’s opened…it’s Christmas!
I used to make these all the time when I was a kid. My absolute favorite cookie. I’ll have to make them soon, it’s been years. They are DEEEElicious.
I think if you’ve never had anything but the store bought version, someone might wonder what the big deal is, right? I used to get Royal Crest Dairy home delivery when my kids were younger and ever since the first time I tried their eggnog with these cookies, I have to admit it must also be a part of that Christmas Eve tradition. Those two combined? Oh my.
Whatever you call them, these are my FAVORITE cookies. When I was young, a family friend always made these and brought a tin of them to our house for the holidays. I would wait all year for those cookies!
:-) It totally understand about the family recipe thing. If I make these for the family the MUST be made with honey as the sweetener.
I make these cookies every year also, using powdered sugar instead of regular. My mother always asks me if I made Grandma Ruth’s recipe, which calls for 4 T of honey instead of the sugar. So, last year I did a bake-off of the recipe with powdered sugar and the one using honey. Honey won hands down! I recommend at least trying it!
That sounds good…I might have to try a batch; but for me part of it is using my Grandmother’s recipe and gifting it to my Dad and my Aunt Jane, her two remaining kids…wonder if they would notice?