Pecan Sandies are the ultimate in simplicity and taste. These cookies literally melt in your mouth. They have rich buttery taste and crumbly texture complimented by toasted pecans.
Ingredients for Pecan Sandies
I used the following ingredients for these amazing cookies: Toasted pecans, all-purpose flour, Kosher salt, baking powder, unsalted butter, Turbinado sugar, vanilla extract, and whole pecans.
Turbinado sugar is partially refined light brown cane sugar, available in grocery stores as Sugar in the Raw. It is similar to Demerara sugar but with larger crystals. Demerara sugar could be used in place of the Turbinado sugar.
Making the Pecan Sandies
These Pecan Sandies were inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe from her Barefoot Contessa Foolproof Recipes Cookbook.
I started by pulsing the toasted pecans with part of the flour 4 or 5 times in my food processor.
Then, I added the rest of the flour along with the salt and baking powder to the food processor. I pulsed the ingredients 5 or 6 times to ensure that they were well combined and the pecans chopped into small pieces.
Next, I turned my attention to the butter and sugar. I added the Turbinado sugar to the butter and beat the mixture on high until it was light and fluffy. This took about 2 minutes.
After that, I added the vanilla extract. I beat the butter mixture on high until the vanilla was well incorporated. This took about 30 seconds.
Finally, I added the flour/pecan mixture. At first, I beat it on low until the flour started to be incorporated. Then, I finished mixing the dough with a silicon spatula until everything was fully combined.
I partitioned the dough using a 1-3/4 inch ice cream scoop. Being the foodie nerd that I am, I actually weighed each piece of dough to ensure that it weighted 1 ounce! Then, I rolled the dough into a ball and placed it on a baking sheet with a silicon mat. Finally, I pressed a whole pecan into the center of each ball of dough.
The dough tended to crack when I pressed the pecan into it. No problem. I merely pressed the cracks together so that the dough was smooth all around.
I popped the cookies into a preheated 350° F oven for about 22 minutes. After 22 minutes, the cookies were lightly browned around the edges. I removed the cookies from the oven and transferred them to a wire rack to cool completely.
I ended up with 25 amazing Pecan Sandies. They were the perfect cookie with their rich buttery taste and crumbly texture complimented by toasted pecans. Yum!
Pecan Sandies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecan pieces, toasted (See Note 1)
- 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (8 ounces, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (3.875 ounces) turbinado sugar (See Note 2)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 24 whole pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Pulse process toasted pecans and 1/4 cup of flour in food processor fitted with steel blade 4 or 5 times. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour, salt, and baking powder. Pulse process 5 or 6 times to ensure that all ingredients are well combined and the pecans chopped into small pieces.
- Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract; beat on high until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add flour/pecan mixture. Beat on low just until flour starts to become incorporated. Finish mixing with wooden spoon or silicon spatula.
- Partition dough into 1 ounce pieces using a 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop. Roll into a ball and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. (See Note 3)
- Press whole pecan half into center of each ball. (See Note 4)
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Yield: 24 or 25 Pecan Sandies. (See Note 5)
Chula's Expert Tips
- To toast pecans, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully to ensure that you don't over-toast.
- Turbinado sugar can be purchased as Sugar in the Raw in the grocery store. You can also use Demerara sugar in place of the Turbinado sugar.
- I used a kitchen scale to ensure that each piece of dough weighed 1 ounce.
- When the pecan was pressed into the dough, the dough was flattened to about 1/2-inch. The pressing of the pecan caused some of the dough to crack. I pressed the cracks together and smoothed them out before baking the cookies.
- The cookies will keep for several days when stored in an airtight container.
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