Chocolate Snowballs

A couple weeks ago, we got almost two feet of snow in one day.  It was wonderful!  I love snow days!  They closed school and all the kids spend the day building forts and snowmen.  It was that wet kind of snow, perfect for making snowballs... chocolate covered snowballs, that is. :)  This was a fun recipe I tried.  They were tasty, but a little dry--and too time consuming to be a "regular" around here.  I think there might be better versions out there, but I thought it was a fun concept, and it makes for a fun "snow day!"

Chocolate Snowballs (From Christmas at Home: Delicious Desserts)

1 1/4 cups butter

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the pecans until well blended. Cover, and chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven. Roll in confectioners' sugar when cooled.