Baking cookies is one of my favorite tasks and I love the holiday season for that reason. I look forward to the holiday season every year to try a handful of new cookie recipes and also to bake our family favorite. This Pecan Shortbread cookies or the Pecan Sandies is no exception. I first tasted the commercial Keebler Sandies from the store and it immediately became one of my favorites. Though not a big fan of nuts in a cookie recipe, this Sandies recipe became an exception. Pecans happen to be my favorite nut on any given day. We live in the suburbs and we have a lot of neighbors who have farms. One such neighbor has a Pecan farm and we buy fresh pecans from their farm every year. Those are by far the best pecans we have eaten and I buy loads of them every year not just for us but also for my other friends and family.
Why make this recipe?
I always found myself buying this Pecan shortbread cookie from the store and that is when I wanted to try it at home.
Who can say no to the buttery shortbread cookies? This recipe is a pretty straightforward shortbread cookie recipe with pecans added.
A very simple recipe and uses just the basic ingredients.
The recipe needs no special ingredients or gadgets and can be made in a jiffy.
Variations to the Pecan Shortbread Cookies
½ cup of toasted coconut could be added to the dough for extra flavor. Pecans can be substituted with almonds, walnuts or any nuts of your choice. Nuts can be totally avoided and can be made as a plain shortbread cookie.
Ingredients Needed
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes.
Butter - I used unsalted butter for the recipe. We can use salted butter as well but make sure you skip the salt in the dough. Sugar - I used fine granulated white sugar for the recipe Vanilla extract and almond extract Flour - We use All-purpose flour in the recipe. Pecans - chop the pecans into fine pieces to use in the recipe. Salt
Step-by-step process
In a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
In an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugar. Beat until just combined.
Add the vanilla and the Almond extract.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture.
Now add the pecans and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.
Dump the mixture onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in a plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Roll the chilled dough ½ inch thick and cut it into desired shape. I used the plastic wrap on top of my dough when rolling. This made rolling easy and gave a smooth surface for the cookie.
Place the shaped pecan shortbread cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet
Bake for 20 - 22 mins or until the edges become brown. Allow to cool to room temperature and then serve or store as desired.
Expert Tips
If using slightly older pecans, make sure to toast them a bit and then cool them before using. Don’t skip the refrigeration part of the cookie dough. That is what helps from the cookies from spreading out. Remove the cookies from the oven just when the edges are browning. They turn a shade darker once taken out.
More Similar Cookies
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