Butter Fingers.

Over the weekend, I found a treasure in a local antique store. It is a cookbook from 1962 entitled "Fascinating Foods from the Deep South" by Alline P. Van Duzor. She was the food director at the University Club in Tuscaloosa at the time, and the book is a collection of her recipes that were much south after. Tonight, I made this cookie, and it is exquisite. Lorraine assures me that it is the cookie from her youth that a neighbor made, and has been mightily missed over the years. These are somewhat fragile when taking off the cookie sheet, as they want to crumble. As they cool, they get firmer. I paid a whopping $3.95 for the book, and it has been worth much more already!

Butter Fingers

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
5 TBSP powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

Work butter, sugar, and flour together in a bowl. Add vanilla and nuts. Form into fingers. Bake in slow oven at 300 degrees until brown & crispy, about 45 minutes. Let cool briefly, then roll in powdered sugar and store in airtight container.