Pecan Sandies are some of the best cookies out there, and they make me think of my southern roots. To be honest, I love pecan EVERYTHING, and these cookies are no exception. These are some of my Mother's favorites and I got this recipe from my Mother in Law last year. This year was the first time I've tried to make them, and they turned out great. I was a little nervous, because they looked a little complicated, but they really aren't.
Sandies are a little messy to make, so put a towel or parchment paper under the cookie cooling rack so you can just toss the excess powdered sugar in the trash when you are done. This recipe makes quite a bit of dough too, so make sure you are ready to be baking for a little while.
Tip: I ran my pecans through a chopper to get them pretty small, so they would be distributed evenly
Pecan Sandies
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2 cup - Butter (room temp)
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4 cup - All Purpose Flour
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2 1/2 cup - Chopped Pecans
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1/2 cup + 2 tbsp - Powdered Sugar (plus more for rolling cookies in once baked)
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1 tbsp - Pure Vanilla Extract
Preheat your oven to 325°. Cream together butter and sugar until very smooth, add vanilla then slowly add in flour until well combined. Now toss in the chopped pecans and mix until these are evenly distributed.
Now that the dough is finished, roll dough into 1/2 inch balls and place them about an inch apart on a lined cookie sheet (Tip: I use these Baking Mats to keep my baking sheets looking new). I made mine into little oval shapes, just for fun, and they almost looked like they were about the size of an almond. These do grow a little in the oven, but not much. I like mine bite sized, because then I can eat more without feeling guilty 🙂
Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake these puppies for about 18 minutes. I baked mine for 17 minutes, because I made them small and they turned out perfect. If your cookies are a little bigger you may have to leave them in a little longer. Just bake until the bottom is a golden brown color. As soon as these come out of the oven, roll them in powdered sugar so they are evenly coated and place on a cooling rack. The powdered sugar kind of melts and turns into a nice, almost frosting and coats the cookies. As these cool, the powdered sugar dries. Once they are cool and dry, store in an airtight container and share with everyone you know. Believe me, you will have plenty to share. Thanks for baking with me you all! I hope you enjoyed my rapid release cookie recipes, and stay tuned for more great recipes to come. Happy Holidays!
Ashley Tuttle
