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This shortbread cookie is full of butter and toasted pecans and then topped with amazing brown butter frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
These melt in your mouth pecan sandies may be little but they are mighty in flavor. They are a buttery shortbread cookie filled with toasted pecans and topped with brown butter frosting. There is a lot of flavor in one little cookie.
What Are Pecan Sandies?
It depends on who you ask. Some people call pecan sandies a Mexican wedding cookie. For me, the two are different but also the same. Both cookies have basically the same ingredients (flour, sugar, pecans, vanilla and butter) but a Mexican wedding cookie uses powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar, is rolled into a ball and then covered in more powdered sugar. They are delish and you can find my recipe for them here.
Pecan sandies use granulated sugar instead and are a flat round slice and bake cookie. You can leave them plain but I love to add some brown butter frosting to the cookie to take the flavor over the top!
Ingredients Needed
Flour. I use unbleached all purpose flour
Salt
Vanilla Extract
Brown Sugar. I use light brown sugar but you could also use dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
Pecans
Butter. I use salted butter.
2 Ways to Toast Pecans
- Microwave Method – Place nuts in a single layer on a microwave safe plate and microwave in one minute increments until nuts turn brown and smell yummy. My microwave took about 5 minutes. Time vary depending on your microwave.
- Oven Method – Place nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
How to Make Pecan Sandies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream together butter and brown sugar.
- Pour in vanilla, salt, flour and chopped nuts. The dough will be crumbly and look dry.
- Add in water, starting with a tablespoon until the dough begins to come together and no longer looks dry. I used a tablespoon and a half.
- Pour mixture onto the counter and use your hands to knead the dough together. The warmth of your hands will help bring the dough together. You don’t want it crumbly.
- Divide dough in half and form each half into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, cut dough into 1/4 inch circles and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 11-12 minutes or until bottom edge just begins to turn golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
- While cooling make your brown butter frosting.
How to Make Brown Butter Frosting
For more extensive details on making butter check out this post.
- Place butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat.
- Butter will begin to foam once it is melted.
- Stir for about 3-4 minutes or until the butter begins to turn golden brown. It will have yummy nutty smell to it.
- Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan as it will continue to cook from the heat of the pan.
- Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make a nice spreading consistency.
- When pecan sandies are cool, top with brown butter frosting.
- Sprinkle with some additional chopped pecans if desired.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Be sure and slice the cookies when the dough is chilled. Slicing them at room temperature will cause the dough to form into a bit of a blob! You will get a nice round shape when you slice them chilled.
- These pecan sandies will not spread while baking so you can place them fairly close together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stored in an airtight container they can be kept at room temperature for 4-5 days.
You can freeze the cookie baked or freeze the uncooked dough. If freezing the baked, I suggest adding the frosting after you thaw and are ready to serve. Check out all my tips for freezing cookies here.
If you want to freeze the cookie dough, after wrapping in plastic wrap add a layer of foil or place in a zippered plastic freezer bags. Dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw dough and slice while the dough is still chilled.
For more yummy recipes using pecans check these out:
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Easy Pecan Sandies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter salted and slightly softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped, additional for garnish if desired
- 1-2 Tbsp water
Brown Butter Frosting
- 6 Tbsp butter salted
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp milk or half and half or whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Cream butter and sugar together.
- Add in vanilla. Mix
- Pour in flour, salt and chopped, toasted pecans
- Mix to combine, Mixture will be dry and crumbly.
- Add in water, a tablespoon at a time until the dough is no longer dry and starts to come together. It will still be crumbly but not as dry.
- Pour dough onto counter and use hands to knead the dough together.
- Divide dough in half and form each half into a log.
- Roll log in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Slice each log into 1/4 inch round circles. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes or until cookie begins to turn golden brown along the bottom edge.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Brown Butter Frosting
- Place butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil. It will begin to foam. Stir constantly until it turns golden brown.
- Remove from heat and pour into a bowl so it doesn't continue to cook in the pan.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before adding remaining frosting ingredients.
- Add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract and enough milk to get a nice smooth spreading consistency.
- Frost cookies and garnish top with some additional chopped pecans if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- Be sure and slice the cookies when the dough is chilled. Slicing them at room temperature will cause the dough to form into a bit of a blob! You will get a nice round shape when you slice them chilled.
- These pecan sandies will not spread while baking so you can place them fairly close together.
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Nutrition Facts:
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