Pecan Sandies

Pecan Sandies - made February 4, 2021 from Everyday Eileen 

I don't make pecan sandies very often. Because you know, bias against nuts in cookies. But since I'm baking this for Soldiers Angels and sending in military care packages, I have to stop thinking about me, me, me and what I prefer.

Pecan sandies are easy to make. Every recipe I've tried for them turns into dough that's easy to work with, not too sticky or too dry. This was no exception. Plus you form the dough into a log, chill then slice and bake. Easy, especially when you're doing batch baking or making several kinds of baked goods to put in the package.

Two keys to a good pecan sandie: first, toast the pecans to bring out their flavor. Make sure you cool them completely before adding to the dough so you don't melt the butter incorporated into the dough. Second, bake them long enough to get a little crisp. For once, I don't advocate underbaking. You want to bake these until they're golden brown. A good pecan sandie should have a crisp snap of shortbread.

These were good. I'm still not a fan of nuts in cookies (exception for white chocolate macadamia nut or coconut macadamia cookies) but the toasted pecans worked here and they're pecan sandies for a reason.

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup pecans, chopped and lightly toasted

2 cups all-purpose flour

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy and combined. Mix in egg, vanilla extract and salt. Blend in pecans. Add flour and mix until just combined.
2. Roll dough into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Remove log from refrigerator and slice into thick, even slices. Evenly space on prepared baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden and middles no longer look raw. Cool completely.