Pecan Snowballs, courtesy The Food Channel.

Shortbread Cookies: Like Mom Used to Make

The kind of cookie that brings memories of your childhood, no matter what your age! These crunchy cookies have been called sandies, snowballs, and everything else under the winter sun. We call them delicious! Also check out Carolyn’s family recipe below, and keep sending us your favorites!

Send your favorite family recipes to letters@saturdayeveningpost.com.

Pecan Snowballs

(Makes 4 batches)

2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans
Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Slowly add flour and salt, mixing completely.

Add chopped pecans and mix well.

Shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter and place on cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper or lightly greased.

Bake for 20 minutes. Cool, then sift confectioners’ sugar over all sides. NOTE: cookies will not brown.

Photo and recipe courtesy The Food Channel.

Carolyn from Greenwood, Indiana, writes us with her own recipe:

“My mother would make these every Chistmas. I’m 64, so you can tell how old the recipe is. I
have no idea where she got the recipe, but what a wonderful tradition!”

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

(Makes about 4 dozen)

1 pound butter or margarine
1 cup dark brown sugar
4 cups flour
1 bag whole pecans (to top each one)

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add flour. Form dough and chill for at least one hour. Roll dough in balls, about the size of a walnut. Press whole pecan on top.

Bake 20 minutes.

For more family cookie recipes, see “For the Joy of Cookies,” from the Nov/Dec issue of The Saturday Evening Post.