Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread pecans on a dry baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes until fragrant. Cool completely. Pulse the cooled nuts in a food processor (or chop finely) until they resemble coarse sand.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the cold butter until creamy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the ½ cup of powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Fold in the toasted, ground nuts by hand. Do not overmix; the dough should hold together when pressed.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, flatten slightly into a disc, and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into small balls, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, and place 1 inch apart on the sheets.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes. The cookies should remain pale, looking set but not browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. While still warm, gently roll each cookie in the bowl of powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Place the sugar-coated cookies on a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, roll each cookie a second time in fresh powdered sugar for the thick, snowy finish.