Grandma's cookies

 Everyone has their signature dish. My Grandmother's was her "finger cookies". They were so delicate and buttery. The powdered sugar gave it just enough sweetness as they melted in your mouth. I have tried in vain to find another cookie that is similar to no avail until now. This recipe by Gluten-free Gobsmacked is the closest yet.  

Grandma would hand pack cookies to send my mom when she lived in Houston and when I was away at college. Sometimes if she was visiting my mom and found out my boyfriend was coming to visit me, she would whip up a batch so that he could hand deliver them. I would have dorm mates ask if my Grandma would send them cookies too! Good thing my boyfriend did not have a sweet tooth, other wise I would never have any cookies!

Grandma's Finger Cookies 

(AKA GF Russian Tea Cookies or Mexican Wedding Cookies)
Recipe makes 4 dozen 1-inch cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted + 1 cup more for tossing
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/3 cup whipped cream cheese
2 teaspoons GF vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tablespoons sorghum flour, sifted (with the tapioca)
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour, sifted (with the sorghum)
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

Directions:

1. Toast the pecan halves over low heat until fragrant.
2. Sift one cup of the powdered sugar.
3. Process the toasted pecans and the 1 cup of powdered sugar in the bowl of your food processor until even and fine.
4. Cream together the butter and cream cheese with the powdered sugar/pecan mixture.
5. Add vanilla.
6. Sift together the sorghum and tapioca flours.
7. Add the xanthan gum to the sifted flours.
8. Mix the dry ingredients in to the creamed/wet ingredients until it comes together as cookie dough (2-3 minutes on medium).
9. Roll into 1″ balls and place the balls on a large plate.
10. Refrigerate the 1″ balls for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (*NOTE: If you need to refrigerate them longer, please cover them with plastic wrap. You can freeze the balls at this point too, if desired.)
11. Preheat the oven to 350F.
12. Lay out the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat about 1 1/2″ apart.
13. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes (Mine bake for 13 minutes) and remove from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool 2-3 minutes before attempting to move them.
14. Dredge the warm cookies carefully in powdered sugar. (I usually put a cup of powdered sugar into a baggie and then toss 4 or so cookies about in the sugar until well coated.)
15. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a cookie rack. (See photo above.)
16. Toss in powdered sugar again, if desired, before serving or packing in an airtight container.