Ingredients:

• 2 c. pecans
• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
• 2 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, grated (about 1 1/3 c.)
• ¼ tsp. almond extract
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. 

Scatter pecans onto a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven for about 6 minutes, until lightly toasted and aromatic; let cool. 

When nuts are cool, grind them in a food processor using the pulse switch, or in a manual nut chopper (as my mother did), until finely ground, (but not to a paste). 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a handheld mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add grated chocolate and both extracts and mix just to combine. 

Stir in the ground pecans until they are evenly distributed. 

With wet hands, pull apart 1-inch pieces of dough and form them into balls. Arrange the balls 1-inch apart on lined baking sheets. 

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Transfer pans to cooling racks and let cookies cool completely on pans. 

When cookies are cool, arrange them on a platter, or store them in a cookie tin for up to 1 week. 

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.