1 lb. lightly salted butter, room temperature
10 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. all purpose flour, sifted
4 c. very finely ground pecans
80 to 100 pecan halves
1 c. (or more) powdered sugar

Fit electric mixer with whisk, if available. Beat butter on high until creamy and almost white. Beat in sugar one tablespoon at a time. Add vanilla and stir to blend.

Resift flour and slowly blend into butter mixture. Mix in ground pecans one cup at a time. Continue beating on high until very fluffy, at least 3 to 5 minutes. Refrigerate dough for about an hour to make handling easier.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Form dough into balls the size of a small walnut and arrange in rows on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then sift powdered sugar over top. Press pecan half into each cookie. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.