Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

If your pecans are not yet toasted, spread them in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from heat, let cool completely, then chop finely.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar together with a hand mixer or wooden spoon until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Mix in the vanilla extract.

Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.

Fold in the finely chopped toasted pecans until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons and roll into 1-inch balls between your palms. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the bottoms are very lightly golden and the cookies are just set. They should not look browned on top.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for just 3–4 minutes — they should be warm but firm enough to handle.

Place the 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. While the cookies are still warm, roll each one gently in the powdered sugar to coat completely. Set on a wire rack.

Once the cookies have cooled completely (about 20 minutes), roll each cookie in powdered sugar a second time for a thick, snowy coating. Serve and enjoy!