Another trip down memory lane

Since I had taken a trip down memory lane with my mom's ginger buttons, I decided why not make another trip. This happened when I took a pound of butter out to soften while sandwiching the Linzers. After I was done, I realized that I didn't have the foggiest idea what I needed it for. It was certainly tempting me to cream it with sugar and make something buttery and delicious out of it. Poking around in the pantry, I found some pecans and decided to make Buttery Pecan Balls.


Some call it Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, whatever it is, all I know is the deliciously tender crumb, nutty and buttery goodness that I came across almost 12 years ago baking Christmas cookies with my good friend A. It has since become an annual favourite of mine to bake. Either of us haven't a clue which tattered library book the recipe came from. Even though the recipe calls to roll them in icing sugar after the cookies have cooled, I prefer to roll them in just granulated sugar. It adds a sweet sandy texture when you bite into it and keeps better as the icing sugar tends to "seep" into cookie.

Buttery Pecan Balls

Ingredients
2 Sticks Butter - Room Temp
1/2 Cup Sugar and additional to complete the cookies
2 Cups AP flour
1/4 tsp Salt
6 oz Pecans
1 Tbsp Dark Rum

Method
Preheat oven to 350. Finely chop (not ground) the pecans in a food processor. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add salt and rum and beat well. Mix in the flour and pecans at a slow speed or with a rubber spatula until incorporated. Using a small scoop or teaspoon as a guide, scoop and roll the dough into little 1 inch balls and place them no less than 1 inch apart on an un-greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes until the cookies are puffed, firm to touch with brown bottoms, not brown tops. After the cookies have cooled, roll them in the granulated sugar.