Bird s Nest Tea Cakes

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup sifted confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup chopped pecans

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl to form a dough; stir in pecans.

Shape dough into a large ball and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.

Make an indentation with thumb in the middle of each ball, forming a nest .

Fill each nest with about 1 teaspoon chocolate chips.

Bake nests in the preheated oven until edges are crisp (cookies will not brown), 10 to 12 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack, about 15 minutes.