Pumpkin Pecan Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Lightly toast the pecans in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, under they are nice and fragrant. Remove from heat. You can either use a food processor to finely chop the pecans (about 10 pulses should do it, don't blend so well that you end up with pecan butter) or finely chop the pecans with a chef's knife on a cutting board (you might want to let the pecans cool a little before chopping).

3. 3

   In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil or butter, pumpkin puree, cane sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Since I used melted coconut oil, it didn't get light and fluffy but it did blend well (I wonder if it would get light and fluffy with solidified coconut oil at room temperature?). Gradually add the chopped pecans and flour, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.

4. 4

   Using your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-inch space around each cookie (the cookies will not expand in size).

5. 5

   Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Pour the powdered sugar into a small bowl and roll the warm cookies liberally to coat in powdered sugar. Taste, and if the cookies aren't quite sweet enough to delight, give them another roll in powdered sugar. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

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