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Pecan Sandies – a classic shortbread cookie filled with toasted pecans and vanilla beans with a crisp coating of coarse sugar making these a wonderful and delicious “perfect anytime cookie.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, some of the best recipes are the easiest to make. These few simple ingredients come together in a lovely little shortbread cookie with a fantastic texture and a not too sweet bite of pecan perfection. These Pecan Sandies are almost a little too easy to whip together, it would be tempting to make a batch every time the craving strikes. It’s a good thing this recipe only makes two dozen cookies, guess you better double it!
The dough is mixed together then rolled into a log and chilled for at least an hour, or overnight, if you can wait that long. I can’t wait to see how it does frozen in individual slices. Pop a few out of the freezer and bake up fresh cookies on a moments notice. Is that a good thing or bad thing?
It’s a good thing! Toasted pecans and a crisp ring of turbinado sugar seal the deal making these one of the best cookies I’ve made in a long time. Sorry to my taste testers, these did not leave the house!
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- 3/4 cup pecans broken into large pieces
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pecans on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove and cool while preparing the dough.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla bean seeds, salt and vanilla to the butter and blend on medium low until combined.
- Add the flour a little at a time and mix until incorporated.
- Fold in the pecans using a rubber spatula.
- Place the dough on a large piece of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour. Form the dough into a log 1 1/2 inches thick. Wrap the dough tightly in the parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- To bake preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator to rest while preparing the egg wash.
- Lightly brush the entire log with the lightly beaten egg yolk and roll in the turbinado sugar to coat.
- Slice into 1/2-inch thick rounds and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom and set.
- Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco & Mindy Fox
Here are a few more cookies recipes you might like!
- Lemon-Lime Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies ~ from Saving Room for Dessert
- Milk Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies ~ from The View from Great Island
- Classic Shortbread Cookies ~ from Jo Cooks
- Old-Fashioned Shortbread Cookies with Salted Caramel ~ from The Cafe Sucre Farine
The snow is melting and we are back in business here in Virginia. The weather is just crazy this year and is supposed to reach the 60’s this weekend. Looking ahead to spring and hope to plant the garden early this year. I miss my tomatoes! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
Such a pretty cookie, Tricia! The brown turbinado looks great with the brown of the sliced pecans. I agree that there really is nothing like a shortbread cookie with a cup of tea (or coffee)! I have never tried freezing sliced shortbread, but I freeze shortbread logs all the time. Individual cookies are dangerously easy to slice off!
My sister-in-law freezes all her chocolate chip cookies into balls then bakes them one pan at a time when needed. I would be eating cookies every single day! Have a wonderful week 🙂
Pecan Sandies were always my favorite cookie at school. The lunch ladies always made them, which is so different than what lunch ladies do now. They weren’t as pretty as yours, but they sure were good. I can’t wait to make these Tricia!
Thank you Abbe – I’ve made them twice in a week and everybody loved them 🙂
I love love love shortbread, I keep testing each and every shortbread recipe I come across, I guess it’s just an excuse to have shortbread, and I think you know that I’ll be baking these really soon 🙂
I’ve made them twice already Muna – they are easy and delicious! Everybody has loved these cookies. Enjoy 🙂
Your Pecan Sandies look delicious and I will make them for our first bookclub meeting. Thank you.
I made them again this weekend for out of town company Gerlinde – they really are so easy and tasty – everybody loved them now that I actually shared 🙂 Have a terrific week!
It really is a strange winter – you’ve had far more snow in Virginia than we have in Canada.
And you make a very convincing argument for those cookies!
Thanks Beth – I bet you will still get some snow before spring arrives! Can’t wait for warmer weather this year 🙂
I know these are infinitely better than purchased Pecan Sandies although I love them. I’m sure I would LOVE these! They definitely would last long around our house.
They are soooo good Chris – and we liked them so much I’m making them again tomorrow for out of town company 🙂 Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!
So happy to see you’re making cookies again. I always want to get in the kitchen and make some cookies, and these look just mouthwatering. We once stayed in a hotel in DC (I think it was…) and they had a daily cookie featured in a huge jar in the lobby. One day it was President Carter’s pecan shortbread and they were amazing. I never did find the right recipe but now I know where to get a great one! Thanks!
What a cool memory! These are really, really good so I know you would enjoy them too. Have a wonderful weekend! Hope the snow melted 🙂
Hi Tricia, you always make the best treats and these cookies are proof. Love pecan sandies have not had them in years. Heard about the crazy weather you have been having, must be hard to plan ahead. Hope you can get your garden in early too, love your tomato recipes.
Thanks Cheri! We have had some crazy weather – but I guess that is the norm. Have a lovely weekend!
Sandies are always a favourite. These look so beautiful with pecans.
I love them too – pecans are always pretty in pictures 🙂 Have a great weekend Angie
Years ago, pecan sandies were my absolute favorite cookie! Back then I bought them in the cookie aisle 🙂 I really, really need to try this recipe. They look perfect, Tricia.
They are perfectly delicious Susan – I’m making them again this weekend for my brother. You’re going to love them!
I just made shortbread…I think these might be next..I like a little cookie w/ tea:) Better than cakes..chocolate etc..not a sweet eater..just bites:)
They are worth making Monique – going to make them again for weekend company. Great cookie!
These look amazingly delicious and I bet they’d disappear quickly! I love how pretty they are.
Thanks Diane – they are gone … but not forgotten 🙂
Love this kind of cookie and pecans are a favourite. These sound like they’d be perfect with my afternoon tea (or with my morning coffee 😉
We can call them biscuits Jennifer and eat them anytime – great with coffee or tea – thanks so much!
I have always loved the flavor and texture of pecan sandies, and I love your idea of rolling the dough in the coarse sugar, I can just imagine the crunch!
Thanks Sue! They are so tasty – and since you are the queen of shortbread cookies – you would love them!