Pecan Butter Balls

Makes about 50 cookies Similar to Mexican wedding cookies, these melt in your mouth. Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together on medium speed the butter, granulated sugar and salt until soft and fairly light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and water and continue beating until smooth. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the flour and pecans with a large rubber spatula. Keep mixing until the dough holds together. Use a small ice cream or melon ball scoop to separate pieces of the dough. Roll the dough between the palms of your hands to make a ball and place on the baking pan leaving about an inch around each. They don't spread, but they do puff slightly. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Another method is to roll pieces of the dough in the palms of your hands to make a cylinder about 1 inch thick. Cut off 3/4-inch pieces of the dough and roll into balls as above. Bake the cookies for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are firm and golden. Slide the papers from the pans to racks. After they are cold, sift the confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl and roll the cookies in it. Store the cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. --- From "Cookies Unlimited" by Nick Malgieri (HarperCollins, $35) Per serving: 98 calories (percent of calories from fat, 66), 1 gram protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams fat, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 24 milligrams sodium.