About Our Ingredients, Shelf Life, Pecans and Baking Tips

Nutballs are in the shortbread family, meaning that they are slightly dry and "short" (crumbly and flaky, like a pie crust). They're definitely not soft and chewy like a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie. It is the shortness of our dough that gives these cookies their rich, satisfying character.

Some cookies can trace their origins to a definite person or time. We'll probably never know who conceived the first ball-shaped, sugar-coated, nut-flecked cookie whose raison d'etre is to melt in one's mouth and leave a lingering, fulfilling aftertaste. Over the years we've researched countless old cookbooks, and discussed the possible origins of this class of cookie with our many customers who recall enjoying them as children when Grandma baked them at Christmas. We're fairly certain butter ball-style cookies were developed at least 150 years ago, probably in the southern US where pecan trees thrive. They may have Medieval Arab roots. Europeans had never even seen a pecan until the 16th century but they caught on quickly especially in West Central Europe. But how these cookies spread so far and wide among so many nationalities to produce a universal holiday treat with so many ethnic names is anyone's guess.

Nutballs--Loved by All
Since 1983, we've sampled and sold our cookies to tens of thousands of people, and of one thing we're certain: there is not, to our knowledge, anyone who doesn't rate them somewhere between excellent and out of this world:

• Young children, the elderly, and everyone in between
• Men and women about equally
  
• Sugarholics and casual dessert afficianados.
• Caucasians, Asians, African Americans
• People who don't ordinarily care for pecans or almonds
  

• Theyre quite fragile, especially right out of the oven and can break easily when you coat them with confectioners sugar, such as 12X. Suggestion: place a pound or two of sifted powdered sugar (12X)  in a large bowl. Gentily place a few hot cookies atop the 12X. Slightly spread your fingers and push them low into the sugar and slowly raise them, the way a child sifts sand at the beach. Caress the cookies with your fingers and coat them.
• Expect the cooled cookies to be fragile. Ours are quite durable and yet they possess a magic melt-in-the-mouth character. It took us many years to figure out how to accomplish that !
• Use only the freshest ingredients.
• Unless you have an aversion to sodium, use salted butter.
• Use raw nuts, not roasted.
• While some bakers prefer to form the dough into a crescent or rope, the ball shape is the most durable.
  

About Pecans

The pecan is the only major tree nut that grows naturally in North America. Most (80%) of the world’s pecans are grown in southern states of the US as far north as Kansas. Mexico is also a large producer and modest quantities are grown in Australia, Israel, Peru and South Africa.

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson cultivated pecan trees, of which there are over 1,000 varieties. Mature trees live to 150 years and beyond, and reach the height of a 15-story building.

Our cookies contain an abundance of these delicious, nutritious (and expensive) nuts, which are an excellent source of protein, unsaturated fat and antioxidants. Pecans have a good-cholesterol effect similar to cholesterol-lowering medications. A pecan-enriched diet lowers blood triglyceride levels and helps maintain desirable levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol.