Description
Ina Garten’s pecan sandies melt in your mouth with buttery richness. Delicate crumbs and nutty pecans create a classic cookie experience you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ lb (227 g) butter, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecan halves
- ½ cup demerara or turbinado sugar
- 24 whole pecan halves for decoration
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pecan Preparation: Toast pecan halves on a baking sheet at 350°F for 6-8 minutes until fragrant and golden, then cool completely.
- Flour Mixture: Pulse toasted pecans with flour in a food processor until finely ground. Combine with remaining flour, salt, and baking powder, whisking thoroughly to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Butter Blending: Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Incorporate vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
- Dough Formation: Gently fold flour mixture into butter mixture, blending until a cohesive dough develops without overmixing.
- Shaping Cookies: Roll dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press a whole pecan half into the center of each cookie for visual appeal and added crunch.
- Baking Process: Bake at 350°F for 22-26 minutes, monitoring for golden-brown edges. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Perfectly Toast Pecans: Roast pecans precisely for 6-8 minutes to unlock maximum flavor and prevent burning, creating a rich, nutty base for the cookies.
- Handle Dough Gently: Mix flour mixture minimally to maintain a tender, crumbly texture, avoiding tough cookies that lose their delicate sandy consistency.
- Strategic Pecan Placement: Press whole pecan halves gently into cookie centers before baking to ensure beautiful presentation and even distribution of nutty crunch.
- Cooling Technique Matters: Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 4-5 minutes post-baking, which helps them set and prevents potential crumbling during transfer to cooling rack.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 205
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg