Lemon Pecan Polvorones

• 1/4 cup demerara/ 'raw sugar', ground to powder*
• 2 lemons' zest
• 2 cups shelled raw pecans
• 1 7/8 cup cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons 'white whole wheat' or spelt flour
• 8 packets " True Lemon"
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut up into 8 chunks
• 2 Tablespoons brandy
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• optional 1 Tablespoon anise seeds, crushed
• confectioners sugar for dusting

1. In a small food processor, grind the lemon zest into the sugar.In another processor, pulse and grind pecans with 1/4 cup of the cornstarch- til fine. Add the rest of the cornstarch , flour, and Salt and pulse to combine thoroughly, using a knife to free up the bottom corner of the mixture.Pulse in the sugar lemon zest . Add butter and pulse to combine.(Optional anise would be added now.*) Combine vanilla through brandy and add while pulsing . When dough is just starting to come together, but before mixture gets creamy and clumps together, pour out into a 9" square pan (or 8 or 10" square pan; it doesn't need to be buttered) , spread to even thickness and smooth the top with a metal spatula. Cover and refrigerate .Allow an hour to thoroughly chill and firm up. Score and cut into a grid that is 8 by 6 squares .
2. Run a metal spatula under the cubes; lift sections of them and roll each cube into a ball, adding to or removing from them to get them all about the same size. Return to square pan and chill 1/2 hour in refrig .
3. Place 2" apart on parchment or silpat- lined cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 17-20 minutes til lightly browned on the edges ,and sweet nutty smell is indicating their doneness. Remove pan to rack. Cool 1/2 hour. Transfer to another sheet pan or container, placing shoulder to shoulder. Sift heavy layer of confectioners sugar over them. Store in airtight container.
4. * It is important to grind whatever sugar you use into a powder so the cookies don't have any crunchy texture in them. You want them to be 'Melt in your mouth.'
5. ** When I want more variety in one batch, i will divide the dough and add 1/2 Tablespoon of the anise to half of it, by hand, pressing it into the square pan to make roughly half the pan lemon anise and half just lemon.
6. Note: In the freezer I store lightly scored (not cut) saran- wrapped dough pieces(takes up the least space this way) or rolled balls, and later, bake as needed.

sugar, pecans, cornstarch, white, packets, kosher salt, butter, brandy, vanilla, anise seeds, confectioners sugar

Taken from food52.com/recipes/20936-lemon-pecan-polvorones (may not work)