Description
These Pecan Sandies Cookies are wonderfully buttery, tender, and delightfully crumbly, with rich vanilla flavor and crunchy toasted pecans in every bite. Made with softened butter, a blend of granulated and brown sugars, and finely chopped toasted pecans, these classic slice-and-bake cookies feature delicately golden edges and a signature sandy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, homemade gifts, afternoon treats, or enjoying with a warm cup of coffee or tea.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Pecan Sandies Dough:
- 1 cup (226 g / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (95 g) toasted, finely chopped pecans
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugars Thoroughly: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and packed light brown sugar together for 5–7 minutes until fluffy, pale yellow, and noticeably aerated.
- Beat in Egg and Vanilla Extract: Beat in the room-temperature egg and pure vanilla extract just until smooth and blended.
- Fold in Chopped Pecans: Gently fold the toasted, finely chopped pecans into the wet butter-sugar mixture until evenly distributed.
- Incorporate Flour and Salt: Mix in the all-purpose flour and kosher salt on low speed just until combined and a soft, cohesive dough forms without dry flour streaks.
- Shape Into Log and Chill: Form the dough into a tight 9-inch-long log. Wrap it securely in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until completely firm.
- Preheat Oven and Slice Dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the chilled dough log from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and use a sharp chef’s knife to slice it into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.
- Bake Until Golden: Place the sliced rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet or parchment-lined sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes until the edges and bottoms turn a delicate golden brown.
- Cool Completely on Rack: Let the cookies rest on the warm baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This allows the delicate, sandy shortbread crumb to set.
Notes
- Cream Butter and Sugars Thoroughly: Beat the softened butter and sugars for the full 5–7 minutes until pale, fluffy, and noticeably aerated for a beautifully tender cookie texture.
- Chill the Dough Completely: Refrigerate the shaped dough log for at least 4 hours or overnight until thoroughly firm. Cold dough is easier to slice into neat rounds and helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
- Let the Cookies Cool: Allow the baked cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Cooling helps their delicate, sandy crumb firm up without breaking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 205
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg