Florida Orange Melts

Total Time: 24 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 24 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups coarsely crushed vanilla wafers
• 1 1/3 cups chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate (do not dilute)
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as grand marnier, cointreau or 2 tablespoons triple sec
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Recipe

• 1 in a food processor, process the vanilla wafers and 1 cup of the pecans until finely ground.
• 2 add the powdered sugar and orange zest and process until evenly incorporated.
• 3 with the motor running, add the orange juice concentrate, orange liqueur, and corn syrup through the feed tube and process just until well blended.
• 4 if the mixture seems too soft to handle, let it stand for a few minutes until firm; if it seems too dry and crumbly, sprinkle in a little water and process briefly to incorporate.
• 5 finely chop the remaining 1/3 cup of pecans.
• 6 spread them in a shallow bowl.
• 7 shape portions of the mixture into scant 1" balls with lightly greased hands.
• 8 press the balls into the pecans, turning until coated lightly all over.
• 9 if the pecans don't stick well, moisten the balls by rolling them in slightly damp hands.
• 10 let the cookies mellow in an airtight container for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight before serving.
• 11 store in an airtight container for up to 4 days, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 month.