We used to love the popular commercial version of this cookie, but they changed the recipe years ago, like so many other popular foods did, and ruined them. This recipe comes pretty close to what we remember, and it doesn’t use any odd ingredients. It is your basic 1-2-3 ratio cookie, with a few items added to highlight the pecan flavor. They have become one of our favorite cookies.
I roll the dough in balls and press them flat with a glass, but if you want a more perfect round, roll them into logs and slice them before baking.
Pecan Sandies
Preheat oven to 350°; line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Ingredients
- 4 oz sugar—1 tablespoon dark brown sugar plus enough granulated sugar to make 4 oz.
- 8 oz butter (2 sticks)—I used salted butter
- 12 oz all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Optional: 1-2 tablespoons milk if dough is too dry to form into balls and press
Preparation
- In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in salt and vanilla.
- Slowly incorporate flour until combined. As mentioned in ingredients list, the dough could be too crumbly to roll into balls and press, depending on such factors as temperature and humidity. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together well, but is not sticky or too wet. Today I only needed 1 tablespoon.
- Mix in nuts until well combined.
- Form into small balls about 1 inch in diameter and place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
- With a flat-bottomed glass or other flat object dipped in flour, flatten each ball of dough to about 1/4-3/8 inch thick. Don’t press them too thin or they will be too crispy.
- Bake for about 12 minutes or until edges are beginning to brown. Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.
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