1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Preheat the oven to 325.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-sized mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 1-1/2 minutes. Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add the flour and salt and blend on medium speed about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and add the nuts with several more turns of the mixer.
Measure out slightly rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and shape them into little logs 2-1/2 inches long by 1/2 inch thick. Place the logs a minimum of 1-1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten them slightly with your palm so that they are about 1 inche wide.
Bake the cookies until they are lightly golden, about 30-35 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheets. When the cookies have cooled, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Dip each of the cookies into the chocolate about halfway up and place onto a sheet of waxed paper to dry. Allow the chocolate to set -- it will take several hours. If it is a humid day, you may place them in the refigerator to speed the process.
