Nut lovers alert! The pecans tucked inside these delicate cookies make for especially luscious little bundles.
—Lee Roberts, Racine, WI
Prep: 45 min. + chilling Bake: 15 min./batch Makes: 8 dozen
1 cup butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
11/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
96 pecan halves (about 2 cups)
1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and salt until smooth. Gradually beat in flour. Divide the dough in half; shape each half into a disk. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to roll.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Dust a work surface with about 2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar. Roll one portion of dough into an 18x8-in. rectangle. Cut rectangle crosswise into six 3-in.-wide sections, then cut each section crosswise into eight 1-in.-wide strips. Roll each strip around a pecan half; place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and pecans, dusting work surface with an additional 2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar.
3. Bake until the bottoms are lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Place remaining confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll cookies in sugar, coating well.
Freeze option: Bake and roll cookies in confectioners’ sugar as directed. Freeze in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper, up to 3 months. Thaw before serving; dust with additional confectioners’ sugar.
1 cookie: 51 cal., 4g fat (2g sat. fat), 8mg chol., 30mg sod., 4g carb. (2g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g pro.