Baking cookies is an integral part of many families’ holiday traditions. Part of my holiday baking tradition also includes trying a new cookie every year. I’m not sure which recipe it’ll be yet (I’ll update when I decide), but have I got a cookie for YOU to try! This recipe for Golden Pecan Balls won the grand prize in a holiday cookie contest sponsored by House & Home magazine. My prize was a beautiful set of Jamie Oliver T-Fal stainless and copper cookware, which my daughter is happily using in her first apartment.
Golden Pecan Balls are based on a cookie my Mom used to make called Walnut Crescents. There’s a lot of variations of the cookie out there, which you may recognize as Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Snowballs, or Butterballs. My version is different in that it uses European butter, golden syrup, and toasted pecans, and if I don’t say so myself, it is delicious. If you’re looking for a holiday cookie that’s easy and delectable, I would be honored if you gave my prize-winning Golden Pecan Balls a try.
- ½ cup European-style butter, softened
- ¼ cup Lyle's golden syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup toasted pecans,* finely chopped
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- *To toast pecans, place them in a single layer in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir continuously for 4 or 5 minutes, until nuts are fragrant and beginning to darken in color, being very careful not to let them burn. Let cool before using.
- Place butter, syrup, and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat using an electric beater, until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until thoroughly combined. Fold in pecans. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Roll dough into 1" balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, approximately 1-1/2" apart. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. When cookies are cool enough to handle, roll them in powdered sugar. For a pretty presentation, dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving or packaging (see magazine photo above).
Ready for the oven
Baked to golden deliciousness
All dressed up and ready to go