What’s in a name? Would pecan sandies taste as delightfully crumbly or comforting if they were called pecan shortbread cookies? The world may never know. So, for the time being, we’ll stick to the classic moniker and enjoy each soft, delicate bite. With this easy-to-follow recipe, you can whip up at batch at home using just a food processor and your oven. Easy cleanup and irresistible reward!
Classic Pecan Sandies
Makes 32 cookies
Ingredients
1-½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Pastry Flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
2-½ cups pecan halves, separated
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1-½ sticks butter (12 Tbsp.), chilled, cut into ½-inch cubes
Directions
- In a 10-12-cup food processor, pulse 1-½ cups of pecans, brown sugar and powdered sugar for 2 seconds, 10 times. Add remaining dry ingredients and pulse for 5 more seconds.
- Add butter to food processor and pulse again for 2 seconds about 10 times, or until mixture is coarse and sandy. Add yolk and pulse until dough sticks together and forms a ball.
- On a 16-inch sheet of plastic wrap, form dough into a 12-inch long cylinder and wrap with plastic. Let chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets with butter or coconut oil.
- Remove dough from fridge and discard plastic wrap. Cut dough into 32 cookies, each about ¼-inch thick, and place on baking sheets leaving a space of about 1 inch in between. (To prevent cylinder from losing its shape, roll slightly after each slice.)
- Use the remaining cup of pecans and press one into the top of each cookie. (If desired, pecans can also be crushed or chopped and sprinkled.)
- Bake for 22 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Let cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before eating.