Pumpkin Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)

Steps

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

2. Lightly toast the pecans in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, under they are nice and fragrant. Remove the skillet from the 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 (let the pecans cool until they’re comfortable to touch before chopping).

3. In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil or butter, pumpkin purée, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt. Beat them with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the chopped pecans and flour, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.

4. Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls (if using a scoop, roll each ball between your palms to smooth out the edges). Place the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 ½-inches around each cookie (the cookies will not expand in size).

5. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet.

6. Pour the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Roll each warm cookie in it to coat liberally, then place it onto a wire rack to cool. Taste, and if the cookies aren’t quite sweet enough to delight, roll them again in powdered sugar. Leftover cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or for several months in the freezer.