Wedding yumminess

So my sister just got engaged (woo) and I decided that I needed to make something wedding-y. The attempt at a wedding cake of sorts is pending (especially since my sister told me that she didn't think I could do it....I never liked her!) but for now, the first thing I thought of was Mexican Wedding Cookies!! I haven't had these cookies in forever, so I have no clue why they popped into my head, but after making them last night, I remembered how amazing they are. If you have never had them (also quite similar to Russian Tea cookies which are traditionally eaten around Christmas time....or so I'm told) you really should give them a try. They are not your typical chewy cookie. They are flaky (not dry at all) and buttery and covered in powdered sugar. You cut up the pecans really small, so they are present in every single bite!! Plus, they are pretty much the easiest thing Ive ever made....which makes the co-workers think I'm even more of a culinary genius than I actually am....but I wouldn't dream of telling them that they are giving me more credit than I deserve!! Even better....I got this recipe from Paula Dean (via the Food Network website) who is pretty much my idol!! Paula told me to roll the cookie dough into crescent shapes before baking, but I didn't go that route. Starting the cookies at 9 pm is ill-advised since they take 40 minutes to bake so I decided that I didn't really need crescents and round cookies would do. Sorry Paula....but they are still yummy!!So here is the recipe below....make and enjoy!!!!

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/mexican-wedding-cookies-recipe2/index.html