Preheat oven to 350°F and toast pecans for 7–10 minutes, until they just start to turn brown. Let cool to room temperature. Turn off oven.
Place candy canes in a plastic bag and beat with a rolling pin until finely crushed, with just a few large pieces. Cut butter into 8 pieces.
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process powdered sugar, pecans and salt until the pecans are powdered. Add butter and process until the dough is smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add flour and candy cane pieces and process until it starts to clump together.
Scrape dough into a bowl. With a 1 ¼ inch scoop, measure out the dough and use your hands to shape the dough into balls. Each ball should weigh about 16 g.
Place balls on a parchment-lined board or baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. At this point, you can also freeze if you want to bake them later: freeze overnight on the sheet, then place in a freezer bag and store them for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for about 17 minutes, until they just barely begin to brown. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before glazing.
White Chocolate Glaze
Chop white chocolate into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over chopped chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 30 seconds. Whisk together until smooth.
Place candy canes in a plastic bag and tap with a rolling pin to create a combination of large and small pieces.
Dip the top of each cookie into the white chocolate glaze. Immediately sprinkle with candy cane pieces.
Let the chocolate completely set (it will be firm to the touch). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. After that, store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.