Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1 1/2  cups          flour, all-purpose
   1      teaspoon      baking powder
     1/4  teaspoon      salt
   3      tablespoons   butter -- at room temperature
     1/3  cup           unsweetened applesauce
   1 1/2  cups          powdered sugar
   1      large         egg
   1      teaspoon      vanilla
     1/4  cup           pecans -- chopped

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl beat butter and applesauce until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, egg, vanilla and pecans. Beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until blended. Dough will be stiff. 2. With lightly floured fingers shape 2-teaspoon portions of the dough into balls. You should have 24 balls. Set them 1 inch apart on 2 12x15 nonstick (or greased regular) baking sheets. Bake in a 375 degree oven until cookies are light golden brown (a bout 15 minutes). Switch positions of trays half way through baking. Let cool on baking sheets until lukewarm. 3. Sift 1/2 cup of remaining sugar onto a large sheet of wax paper. Roll each cookie gently in sugar. With your fingers pack more sugar all over each cookie to a depth of about 1/8 inch. Place cookies on a rack over wax paper and dust generously with r emaining sugar. Let cool completely.