Tasty Tuesdays - Pecan Fingers

When I think of Christmas, one of the first things that comes to mind is baking.  What is it about this time of year that inspires the inner Martha in all of us?  Growing up, there were some cookies that we would bake together as a family all year long - chocolate chip pecan, sugar cookies, and snickerdoodles were among them.  But then there were the cookies that we only made around Christmas - pecan fingers.  Mmmm...  I don't know why they were reserved for Christmastime, but that was the only time of year when I remember making them.  It made them kind of a special treat that I associated with cold weather and gas furnaces.  They are the perfect combination of savory and sweet.  The dough itself has very little sugar and a salty richness from the butter base and a toasty nuttiness from the chopped pecans.  But they are carefully wrapped in a layer of powdered sugar that gives them just the right balance of something sweet.  They are the perfect melt in your mouth treat that I think you will love, and that I hope might become a part of your holiday baking tradition like it has mine.

 Pecan Fingers

 2 Cups all pourpose flour

2 sticks softened butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the first four ingredients well with hands.  Add the chopped pecans.  Form into fingers.  Bake on cookie sheet until brown...  approximately 10-15 minutes.  Cool on a rack for 10 minutes.  Roll in powdered sugar.

PS - The butterin the dough will become softer as it sits out, so if you find it hard to handle, chill it for a few minutes before shaping.  Also, the cookies are very fragile after they are baked so be careful rolling them.

PSS - After writing this, I think I realize why we only had them once a year - two stick of butter - WOW!!!