Try this 4-Ingredient Pecan Balls recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 93.4749017843549 g
- Cholesterol 255.237499990522 mg
- Fat 97.5271745812819 g
- Fiber 3.37941673057171 g
- Protein 13.7754187653749 g
- Saturated Fat 60.9765402064811 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (260g)
- Sodium 1617.24233534153 mg
- Sugar 90.0954850537832 g
- Trans Fat 7.34372520842104 g
- Calories 1298 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Cream together the butter, sugar and flour with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Fold in the pecans and salt and stir until combined. The mixture will be crumbly but will stick to itself.
- Roll the dough into small balls (about 1/2-inch across) and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (You can wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to you.)
- Bake at 275 degrees F for 45 minutes.
- Let cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container. These pecan puffs keep for up to a week on the counter or in the pantry.
- To make the chocolate sauce: Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave in 30 seconds intervals until chocolate is melted and can be stirred together. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled pecan balls or dunk balls in the chocolate sauce.
Why does a dough containing zero chemical leaveners still hold its shape during a forty-five-minute bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit? The absence of eggs means moisture relies entirely on the butter's water content. Softening the butter rather than melting it preserves emulsion stability. Beating the fat with granulated sugar and all-purpose flour creates a dense network of gluten strands and trapped air pockets. This mechanical aeration provides the sole lift for these delicate puffs.
Pecans contribute significantly to the fat and protein ratios. Chopping the nuts finely allows them to integrate into the dense matrix without puncturing the structural integrity of the small half-inch spheres. Toasting occurs directly inside the low-temperature oven as the lipids within the nut meats render. Salt acts as a flavor amplifier, dampening the perception of cloying sweetness while sharpening the nutty aromatics provided by the butter solids.
Cooling is a mandatory physical phase. Hot out of the oven, the high butter concentration makes the structure fragile and prone to crumbling apart at the slightest touch. Leaving the baked items undisturbed on the baking sheet allows residual thermal energy to fully set the starch and fat crystals. Only after complete thermal equilibrium can successful transfer occur without breakage.
Pairing these rich pastries with unsweetened black coffee or sharp black tea balances the dense palate weight. The bitterness of the brewed beverage cuts through the heavy concentration of milk fats and sugars. Stored properly in an airtight container, the confections remain stable for up to seven days.
