Pecan Sandies

Pecan sandies are some of my favorite cookies: full of toasty pecan pieces with a crisp edge and slightly chewy center, they just melt in your mouth. Biting into one of these is like biting into my childhood.

My great-grandmother Melinda (Nan to all of us), always had a bag of these cookies in her pantry, and whenever we went to visit, it was always the first thing I ran to find. I honestly can’t think of a single time that they weren’t in her cupboard.

I’ve had such a craving for these for the last year, but every time I go to the store, they’re nowhere to be found. I guess that the tastes have changed here, or maybe there just aren’t enough Nan’s around to buy them for their pantry’s. I wasn’t going to let that stop me from taking a trip down memory lane though, and sharing them with my kids.

The key to these cookies is the different mix of sugars in them. That’s how they get their unmistakable flavour and texture. I’ve tried making them a few ways, but this is by far my favorite, and the only way I make them now. The touch of brown sugar gives a hint of molasses, the confectioners sugar is what makes them so melt in your mouth-able (totally a word), and rolling them in the white sugar before they bake gives the outside the sweetest little crunch.

These ones are for you Nan.

Pecan Sandies

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 heaping cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper (these cookies will stick if you don't).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of the white sugar, brown sugar, and confectioners sugar until well combined and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then add the vanilla.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Mix in the pecans.
5. Put the remaining 1/2 cup white sugar in a small bowl. Use a small cookie scoop if you have it, or roll the dough into 1" balls in your hands. Roll the balls in the sugar, then place on the prepared baking sheets (leave 2" between cookies)
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown. Move the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Notes

There's no need to flatten the cookies at all, they spread out the perfect amount from the ball shape while baking.

You can press one pecan half into the top of each cookie for decoration before baking.

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