Karen’s Pecan Sandies

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Homemade delectable Pecan Sandies with Baked Maple Pecans. Forget store-bought and use the best ingredients for a real treat. Recipe for dropped and rolled cookies.

Prep Time20

Cook Time12

Total Time32

Course: cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Best Pecan Sandie Cookies, Pecan Sandies, Pecan Sandies with Maple Walnuts

Servings: cookies

Author: Karen Sheer a zest for life

Ingredients

Maple Pecans:

1 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoon unsalted butter I use organic
1 tablespoon pure amber maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or natural light brown sugar
1 pinch sea salt
1 - 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (for rolling the cylinder version)

Cookie Dough:

1 stick unsalted butter softened, just a little
1/4 cup shortening Spectrum Organic preferred
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract pure, not artificial!
1 large egg I use pasture raised
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup pecans toasted and finely chopped (from baked maple pecans)

Instructions

Baked Maple Pecans:

In a small skillet, heat the butter and coconut palm sugar over low- medium heat stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Take off heat, add maple syrup, a pinch of salt and the pecans, stir well to coat.
Spoon the pecans onto a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper into a singly layer. Bake in the center of the oven for about 10 minutes, stirring up once after 5 minutes, until coated well, but not darkened. Remove to harden. Will have 1 1/4 cups.
When cool, chop only ONE cup of them (I use a mini food processor, pulsing 10 times) coarsely. Will have about 1/4 cup remaining to snack on (full recipe for dropped version, below.)

Rolled and Cut Pecan Sandies:

In a stand mixer, Add the next 7 ingredients (butter through almond extract.) Cream until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg, cream over low speed until incorporated. Add the cream of tartar, baking soda, flour and the 1 cup of chopped baked pecans. Mix on low speed until well combined.
Cut two pieces of waxed paper, about 10" and add 1/2 of the dough to each. Roll into a cylinder - each 11 1/2" wide. Place on a sheet pan and refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours or longer, until very firm.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
On a clean cutting board, scatter 1 T. of coconut palm sugar. Unwrap one dough, roll evenly in the sugar. Repeat with the other cylinder.
Cut each roll into even 1/2" thick round cookies, about 22 each roll. Repeat with remaining roll if desired*. Place a silpat sheet or natural parchment on two cookie sheet pans. Add cookies to each and cook at 350 degrees for 12 minutes until just golden around the edges and underneath. Will crisp a bit as they cool. Cool on wire racks and enjoy you efforts!
*Hint: can bake one roll, save the half in the freezer (well wrapped) for another time.

OR make Dropped Pecan Sandies:

For Dropped Pecan Sandies with a Pecan on Top:
No need to chill the dough.
To the dough - use 3/4 cups of the chopped cooked nuts, reserving 1/2 cup for decoration. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Form the cookies into rounds with a 1 1/2" medium cookie scoop. Press a pecan halve gently into the center. Bake for about 12 minutes until puffed and just golden on the bottom. Makes about 18 cookies for half, 36 for whole recipe.

Notes

Will make about 44 sliced cookies, and 36 dropped cookies

Nutrition