These light and crisp pecan sandies are some of the easiest cookies to make. The powdered sugar coating makes them look like snowballs, so they're perfect for the holiday season. If you love pecans and shortbread, you'll love these snowball cookies.
Cream the sugar and butter with a hand mixer on medium speed until well blended. (If using a stand mixer, you can scrape the sides of the bowl and continue mixing, as needed.)
Add water and vanilla to the mixture, and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour and 1/4 tsp to 1/8 tsp Kosher salt (optional), and mix well.
Gradually add the flour and pecans to the butter mixture, and mix just until combined.
Shape the dough into 1 ½-inch balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You can also grease the cookie sheet as an alternative.
Chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to better maintain the round cookie shape before baking. You can also bake the cookies immediately if using a different shape like a traditional flat cookie or crescent shape.
Bake the cookies for 20 minutes. Do not let cookies brown. They should be off-white when fully baked, like the color of traditional shortbread. If chilling the dough beforehand, you may need to add 3-5 minutes to the baking time.
Let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack. Then roll the cookies in powdered sugar to coat.
Notes
These cookies taste great with or without the powdered sugar coating. The addition of Kosher salt adds a bit more contrast to the sweetness of the cookie but can be omitted or reduced based on your taste preference.These cookies freeze well for up to 3-4 months.