Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 5-8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add flour and nuts, beating until incorporated.
Divide dough roughly in half. Wrap each half in plastic and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and cinnamon in a pie dish.
Take out first half of chilled dough. Make 1-inch cookie balls, and arrange them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, 1 inch apart. Slightly pinch each ball so it stands taller and somewhat oval.
Bake cookies just until bottoms are light golden brown, 12-13 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes on sheet.
Carefully toss warm cookies in the cinnamon sugar mix, coating completely. Place cookies on wire rack to finish cooling.
Once fully cooled, re-coat each cookie in cinnamon sugar mix and serve. Repeat with other half of dough.
Notes
Make sure the roasted pecans have completely cooled before you grind them. Also, be sure not to over-grind as this will give you more of a paste rather than a course flour texture.
Don't forget to roll your cookies in the powdered sugar mixture twice. The first layer will melt a bit, and the second layer will have that fluffy snow appearance.
Don't skip chilling the dough! This is crucial to helping the cookies keep a round shape.
Join our Free Recipe Club and get our newest, best recipes each week!If you tried this recipe and loved it, please come back and give it a rating. We ❤️ hearing from you!