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This is another cookie that I would make with Mother Lovett while she was still kickin’.
If you have someone in your life that prefers treats on the milder side and does not like thing’s very sweet, this cookie is for them. However, I have zero concept of someone thinking a food is too sweet. That’s impossible.
I broke out her old, handwritten recipe.
There are strict instructions to not refrigerate this dough. They must be rolled into balls right away.
Of course I followed these instructions. I can’t imagine being haunted by Mother Lovett from her grave. I can just see her ghost following me through the grocery store and throwing stool softener, maxi pads with wings, and chipped ham into my cart.
We always stuffed the cookies with 2 things: pecans and maraschino cherries.
Luckily, I had some pecans hanging around.
Unfortunately, I did not have any maraschino cherries. I just can’t be trusted. I enjoy the crack cherries too much. But I highly suggest you try them! They are fabulous in these cookies.
After rolling the cookie into a ball, push a pecan inside and continue rolling the dough around it.
Unfortunately blurry, but gets the point across.
I made a few plain ones, but most are stuffed with pecans. These are one of my mom’s favorite cookies, and she likes the pecans inside.
They come out looking buttery and delicate.
And with a surprise inside – the pecan!
After they cooled, we would roll them in powdered sugar.
I bet you didn’t think there was a wrong way to coat cookies in powdered sugar.
Alas, there is. Mother Lovett told me so.
Butterball Cookies
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup whole pecans/maraschino cherries
1 cup powder sugar
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix in flour and salt until combined. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
Stuff each ball with a pecan or maraschino cherry. Place on baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 minutes, or until bottoms are golden.
Once cooled, roll in powdered sugar. Makes roughly 24 cookies.
Enjoy. 
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum! I’m looking for a buttery cookie recipe for x-mas so I might have to use this
mm I love simple recipes like this one. Your blog always makes me hungry…..but I refuse to stop reading it
Those looks so good! I too can’t fathom someone thinking something is too sweet!! Blasphemy!
Those look delicious!! I love that you make all your Grandma’s recipes – good for you for keeping the traditions alive!
I love those cookies! And the handwritten recipe – those are always the best.
I loooove those cookies. Something so simple and satisfying about them :O)
pecans! cookies! powdered sugar! sign me up.
OMG I just got caught up on your last few posts.. insane, girl.. everything looks so yummy and festive. I love pecans.. they make cookies even better. Enjoy!!
I’ve never had these before, but they look good. although i agree with you that a cookie can’t really be “too sweet”. i made white hot chocolate last night though, that actually came close to being too sweet. i managed to finish it though
Love your Mother Lovett! And yes, I think I have about 10 others cookies of yours to try before these… I loves me some sweet!
Blessings!
Amanda
Really? A wrong way to roll cookies in powdered sugar? Who would have known.
Nice, buttery cookies! I love those, and more importantly, teh people I bake for as gifts love those! Pecan surprise! Merry Christmas to ya!
mmm my daddy makes powdered sugar coated cookies that are similar every year.
the powdered sugar makes ‘em extra good
You have no idea how happy it makes me to see pecans tucked into those cookies. Love the handwritten recipe. Keep that forever and ever.
Delicious looking cookies!
nom nom..sounds good!
nommm! Jessica-i bet you are the best wife EVER!
Those look great! What’s the texture? Crunchy?
Ooh, my mom would love these! She’s a big fan of treats that aren’t “too sweet!”
Those maraschino cherries were an addiction when I was a little kid! My mom simply couldn’t purchase them when I was around
Those look delicious!
OMG i just caught up on 8 new posts. you are a treat making MACHINE! seriously i was just in awe over all the gorgy christmas goodies! and i loved the snow. and the hot chocolate was probably a highlight! i am going to make your buffalo chicken dip on christmas eve~cannot wait!
I totally hear you on the maraschino crack cherries – way too addictive to have around the house~
Not too sweet? What’s that?
These sound delicious! I would pour straight up sugar into my mouth if I could, so I have a hard time with too sweet myself!
I loved the recipe and the commentary of your sweet memories with it!
Yet another recipe I hated as a child, but now really enjoy. They look great!
OMG! I have a handwritten recipe from my great grandmother for cookies eerily similar to these! We call them “lady fingers” and bake them in finger shaped rolls of dough. They are amazing!
One of my favorite things about the holidays are all of the passed down recipes we pull out of the cookbooks!
Yum! My mom makes those…they are delicious!
Okay now those could be my favorite cookie you have posted yet!
Nice that you have the old, handwritten recipe. I wish my nanna had kept them. Everything was in her head and nothing was ever the same twice. Dash of this or that varied batch by batch.
The comment too you left on my blog now that you can eat raw vegan b/c all the eats today (raw vegan cookie recipes) suited the mainstay of your diet..OMG I LMAO. Thank you. Priceless one liner. Loved it
Yum! I can get overloaded with sweets around this time of year. Those sound amazing.
Those look scrumptious! So cool that the recipe is handwritten, too. Those are usually the best ones!
These look great – some of my favorite kinds of cookies! Very pretty too.
oh man those cookies sound SO SO SO good!! especially for the upcoming parties
You must stop making all of these delicious goodies!! I’m drooling over here!
These sound perfect for my bf. He’s one of those weirdo sweet haters.
oh yum!! these look so fantastic!
This must win an award for funniest name of a cookie!
totally awesome. like shortbread surprise!
Made these today with the cherries – they were amazing! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe. Next time I’m going to drain the juice from the cherries, refill with Crown Royal and let the little gems soak for a few days. Then I’ll make another batch of these for the adults….
So glad you liked them! That idea is brilliant!
I love this website because of the yummy recipes, but also because of your wickedly funny sense of humor. Keep it comin’!!
Mother Lovett was undoubtedly a beautiful soul…. and she is to be thanked for helping to create a beautiful granddaughter.
I’m undergoing a scary medical procedure this morning. These butterballs (filled with crack cherries) will become my comfort. Oh, and maybe 3 dozen Nutella buckeyes… because what could possibly be wrong with hazelnuts and chocolate?
Hope everything is okay girl!
I just made these and… OMG… They are AWESOME! Due to humidity I had to add a little extra flour and I’m really happy about the result. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.
Yum, these cookies are a holiday must! They melt in your mouth.
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