pecan sandies
Party foods should come in one-bite servings. How many times have you been at a wedding’s cocktail hour and you were somehow supposed to be eating something from a plate (cue your tiny violins, please) that was way too messy to be eaten while wearing a nice dress, carrying a cocktail and mingling with distant cousins? Wouldn’t this all work a little better if things were the size they should be?
I think that is the genius — or one of the geniuses — behind these pecan sandies from Claudia Fleming’s Last Course, a cookbook I feel almost guilty about continually bringing up since I know it is out of print. She suggests that you cut them into one-inch squares so that they can be bite-sized and I can’t tell you how much better this made them. No crumbs! No fuss! Such dainty little gifts.
I made a batch of this dough in the beginning of the month, rolled them out, cut them into squares and froze them between sheets of waxed paper, wrapped in plastic, only baking them as I needed them. For a lunch with my old coworkers, I dipped them diagonally in melted bittersweet chocolate. To fill out a cookie box for a party, I sprinkled them with turbinado sugar. I imagine they’d also make great sandwich cookies, filled with a stiff chocolate ganache of your choice. Point is, you can make cookies like this well in advance and always have them on hand when life demands cookies. Which is, you know, often.
One year ago: Caramel Cake
Two years ago: Russian Tea Cakes
Pecan Sandies
Adapted from Last Course
Now, I know that the Internet isn’t exactly facing a shortage of recipes for pecan sandies, but I happen to think that these are a step above, due to the tiniest of steps: Fleming has you toast them until they’re very dark, which, combined with sugar, brings out an almost maple-y flavor. Once ground up, they give the cookies a whole other dimension — the pecan flavor is louder and the cookie tastes more grownup than what we might be used to. In the best way.
Makes just shy of 12 dozen, one-inch square cookies
1 cup pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts out in one layer on a baking sheet and bake them, stirring occasionally, until they are well browned, 10 to 13 minutes (they will smell toasted and nutty). Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
In a food processor, grind the nuts with 1/4 cup of the flour. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Sift together the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour, the salt, and the baking powder, and add it to the dough, mixing until just combined. Stir in the nut mixture. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Roll the dough between two sheets of wax paper to 3/16 inch thick (a rectangle approximately 10 x 14 inches). Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-inch squares, then cut the squares on a diagonal into triangles (I skipped the last cut into triangles). Sprinkle the cookies with the turbinado sugar. Place them 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets (do not reroll the scraps). Prick the cookies with a fork and bake until pale golden all over, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
these look amazing! And you’re right – they should be bite sized so these are perfect!
I love bite sized. I can eat twenty and then tell myself that they would really only make up, like, two cookies and what’s the harm in two?
I swear those cookies are talking to me. How creative to make square cookies.I’ll have to give it a go.
wait — 12 dozen?? as in 144 cookies? by the way, i have 3 nuts left in the jar. i have zero will power – thank you for them.
These are so cute! They look really yummy.
I am SO making these to take to a New Year’s Eve party! Do you think I could leave the sugar off the top? ( I ask this meekly because I’m sure it’s fantastic, but I’m trying to avoid a trip to the grocery!)
I’m making these for the party on Saturday night! Wow, gorgeous.
I agree; single bite sized only at cocktail parties. Some munchy cookies too for anytime..like these. I made these cute little shortbread cookies filled with sprinkles that were cut into 166 (each) of 1/2 inch pieces from a 5X8 slab of dough. They were so cute in my candy jar over Christmas and everyone loved dipping out a handful as if they were peanuts! These one-inchers are almost as grabby. Thanks, Deb, I like the toasted ground nuts in these too.
I agree. Besides, these are too cute for words!
Yum! I love pecan sandies. These will have to wait a bit. Believe it or not, even I am cookie-d out this Holiday. These do look adorable though :-) Hmmm…
I love the presentation of this classic cookie. No one would turn down a tasty morsel of this little beauty!
I really like the way the raw sugar looks on top. They almost look like little crackers!
These look wonderful! I just made the espresso chocolate shortbread cookies you posted last year, and once again loved the “rolling out in the bag” trick – I imagine it would work for these, too!
………………….but doesn’t your recipe say to cut the squares into triangles…….?
Your photos have me sold! I’m going to make these cookies w/tweaks for sugar-free and gluten-free.
The way you cut them is absolutely adorable, Deb.
These look so darling. I can’t wait to try these out for New Years.
The trouble with reading your site, Deb, is that I want to make everything I see. I already have some cookie dough in the fridge (the 1942 honey refrigerator cookie from Gourmet’s favorite cookis through the years thingy on their website) waiting to be baked tonight for a party tomorrow and NOW I want to make these TOO. Sigh. Anyway, they’re adorable. Happy New Year!
They look divine. I’ve been a quiet observer of your blog and think your photos, writing and food are all wonderful. Have a fab 2009!
My co-workers and I just love your blog! We drool over your pictures and recipes practically every day. Your step by step breakdown and critiques are very helpful too. Thanks so much and have a happy new year!!!!
these are one of my favorite type of cookies! They look so good! : ) p.s. love the “please recycle” at the end…good work! ; )
oops, sorry…that was just an ad. : )
Wow!
Those do look fabulous.
These are lovely mignardise, the dessert equivalent of an amuse-bouche. Just one little delicious bite. Also the name of my blog. I hope to try them out soon!
I have this thing about your blog. It’s not to be missed. I’m looking forward to making these.
Judith — I forgot to mention that the original recipe suggests that you then cut these squares on the diagonal into triangles, but I drew the line there. I am sure they would be even cuter.
Perfect pecan sandies!
Yum Yum, I don’t have any pecans but walnut would be good too. Or Hickory nuts.
Mmm, I am a Sandies fanatic.
Lovely!
(***FYI, Deb gets a double take on New Year’s Day…the Martha Stewart blog episode will re-air….it’s what led me to this fabulous site!!!***)
These look spectacular! I’ve loved Pecan Sandies since my grandmother introduced me to them when I was little.
One question: What if I don’t own a food processor? How to grind the nuts? I have a nice blender, would that work? I’m not afraid of manual labor, either, if you have a good method.
I’m totally making these for our Winter Formal cocktail party next month. Especially since the dough can be made ahead. How long would you say the cookies are good AFTER you’ve baked them? Can I get away with baking them a couple of days in advance?
Thanks!
Any thoughts on using a pizza cutter for the slicing instead of a knife? I don’t have the steadiest hands and I just know my little squares will look more like little trapezoids if I do this with a paring knife.
Hey Deb,
These are so cute. They remind me of blocks, or legos, two of my favorite childhood toys! Oh right and I’m sure they taste amazing too. Just wanted to say that I made the rainbow cookies for my italian family and they were much loved. Everyone thought they were great and at least four people admitted that they’d been forcing bad versions of these cookies down for years, but really liked them this time!
I’d never heard of Pecan Sandies before, but these looked so adorable I had to try them. As I had no pecans I substituted walnuts. I’ve just gobbled up a dozen: they are delicious, and surprisingly rich. Thank you so much for the recipe! The dough should keep for a few days wrapped up in plastic wrap in the fridge, shouldn’t it? (I’ve no freezer space). I want to try them half-covered in chocolate as per your photo. Are there tricks to getting that right, or does one just melt choc and dip?
Ginger – you could use a coffee grinder for the nuts. I use mine almost exclusively for that reason – and also because I don’t drink coffee. :)
I completely agree with you about the hors d’oeuvres – there should be no plate required.
These cookies look fantastic – the photos on your blog are heavenly!
Hi Helen — Walnuts are actually my favorite, so I’m sure I’d love those. The dough should keep for a few days in the fridge, longer in the freezer, if you had space. Soo… the best way to dip them in chocolate is to temper it, which will give the chocolate a shiny firm coat. I didn’t do it on those (just melted the chocolate and dipped) and they came out a little grainy (but tasted fine) but probably would next time. Tempering (in case you don’t already know) is a little tricky but if you have a good, quick-read thermometer you can pull it off… I like Jen’s instructions here.
How do you get such neat squares?
Oh, yum. This recipe is perfect for veganization since there are already no eggs! It also looks like it would halve beautifully; do you think that would affect the chilling time?
Alphie — I, um, used a ruler.
Oh and to the person above who asked about a pizza wheel — yes, that would work great. (Mine is a little wobbly/loose/cheap so I’m always afraid it won’t cut a straight line but I suspect that most people pay more than 99 cents for theirs.)
Amber — The idea is to chill it long enough so that it is very firm, and will roll out nicely. It may vary depending on ingredients and of course the temp of your fridge.
Okay, Deb – since I’ve begun reading your blog this summer, you have encouraged me through these incredible recipes to enroll in French Pastry School in Chicago (!!!). I’m wicked excited, to say the least. I amazon and ebay’ed the Fleming cookbook you’ve been mentioning — the cheapest I can find it for is $130!! Worth it? Yes? Maybe? Perhaps I can justify it as an investment piece? Ha.. :)
Aw, I’m so flattered! It sounds like a great place. The book is wonderful, but who am I to say that any book is worth that much. We went to the North Fork Table & Inn this summer, where Fleming now works. They had one case of books left, and were selling them for their cover price of $50. (Oh, how I wished I’d grabbed three. Would have made a great giveaway!) I’d call them and see if they have any left. If you’re going to be in the area, it’s so worth it to have a meal there. If you’re not, beg. Perhaps they’ll send you one. :)
I’ll bet these would be equally as good with hazelnuts. mmmmmmm.
Deb, These look fabulous, as does just about everything you put up! Did you skewer them into fourths just to make them look cuter or was that in lieu of the fork pricks?
Thanks for another recipe to add to my ever-growing google doc full of yours!
Both — in lieu of the fork marks and in a pattern that I thought would be cute. And also because I’m nearly incapable of doing anything “scattered” or “random”. It’s an affliction, I know.
Are you kidding? No warm chocolate yummy desserts? No sugar rimmed coktails? I live for both …. These cookies look terrific, but I can’t get over the DONT’s….
I’m sure people identify with you often but today, encouraged by a desire to know how it all started with your Alex (who sounds as charmingly perfect as my beau) I located the old archives of Smitten… I can’t stop reading, even if it is not-so-ancient history! Very similar paths indeed. Keep up the good work, I always love your recipes.
Hmmmmm.. I can’t have pecans, but I can have almonds. I think I’ll try the recipe with toasted almonds.
How do you get them so square? When I roll out dough, it never comes out to a neat shape. Even my pizzas are never a perfect circle…
I’m definitely making these. Thanks for posting ;-)
Are these missing an egg or something? I made the dough last night and it seemed a little dry, but refrigerated it anyway and this morning it is a crumbly mess.
Nevermind- once the dough warmed up a bit it stuck together. They smell good!
These are actually a work of art. They almost (and I did say almost) look too good to eat! Yum with a warm cup of hot chocolate or coffee.
I love the trick with the skewer. The dots/impressions make a great visual…impression!
Happy New Year!
One, these look delicious, and I can’t wait to make them!
Two, Smitten Kitchen is nominated for best home cooking blog over at Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen (http://www.thekitchn.com/) so head over and vote for Deb if you haven’t already!
These look great. Thanks for another great thing to try.
Hi M — Yes, the dough is a bit dry, but that dryness is what gives it its sandy texture. Glad you worked it out.
I made mine with walnuts, and I also chose not to use a food processor ( my husband works graveyard, and loud machines for crunching nuts are absolutely out of the question while he’s asleep.) If you’ve got a sturdy table, a rolling pin, a ziploc bag and some time, you can put the nuts/flour in the bag and roll them on your sturdy table until they’re finely ground. It does take a great deal of time and horse power, but it works if you haven’t a food processor or coffee grinder.
These were fantastic, and I’m going to use them as dippables for my fondue party tonight :)
The first shortbread I’ve ever made, and it turned out amazingly! Much better than those rock-like storebought things.
I’ve just bought a new Kitchenaid, so I’m baking like a madwoman, doing everything on your site I just couldn’t bring myself to mixing by hand. =)
Just made these and the dough was a little crumbly. Really be accurate with the measurements!!! I over floured something!
I made these with walnuts insstead of pecans, and they were terrific! Buttery and rich. Mine were not as square as yours, and I did use the skewer to dock the dough because I really liked how yours looked, but I cannot do anything to perfection and always end up with a whimsical look. Neither my picture or my cookies are as perfect as yours, but the taste was fantastic.
Here’s a link to a poto of my walnut sandies.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=199567&l=8cdae&id=1420213067
photo not poto
I`m really excited to make these. Thank you for posting the recipe!
Deb, you never fail us! These were AMAZING! My new favorite cookie. Thank you!
These look absolutely adorable! Pecan sandies are one of my favorite cookies, so I can’t wait to try out this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
These are so cute!
I can’t agree with you more! Party food should always be bite sized! So many times I’ve turned down appetizers because I can’t fit them in my mouth in one bite.
These pecan sandies look delish! I’m going to have to make them!!!
Every fall my mother sends me a care package from Georgia of fresh pecans. Considering the dry,stale things on my island sell for $15.98/lb in the bulk section of my local island grocer, I embrace them and savor them like precious contraband. Though, I now know some of these yummy morsels will be making their way into your pecan sandies recipe. Thank you kindly.
I bought pecan sandies at a small bakery in Roslyn, NY – they were so delicate and tasty, so when I got home I had to search for a recipe. I made these yesterday. The bakery cookies were yummy, but these are even better. I am forwarding the recipe link to all my friends.
I just made these with almonds (that is all I had and I was desperate to try them!) They were amazing!
I made these last night. DELICIOUS and easy. Thanks for the inspiration! My recipe made about 90 1 inch squares and a few scraps that were gobbled up, too!
Quick question… I don’t have a food processor or coffee grinder at home, but I do have pecan meal. Can I substitute this for the fresh ground pecans? Also, if I substitute the pecan meal, would I still need to add the 1/4 cup of flour?
Yes. An equal weight of pecan meal should be fine. I would not skip the flour.
I make sandies for my grandmother whenever she remembers the cookies of her youth in Pakistan, naan kathai, an egg-less cookie with ghee and cardamom. This was the best recipe yet for pecan sandies, thank for posting it!
I’m still wondering what’s wrong with warm, oozy chocolate desserts?
Just not my taste? I like my chocolate desserts cold.
The “Last Course” cookbook is now on sale at their restaurants website for $50! It goes for several hundred on Amazon, so quite a deal. YEah!
I highly recommend dipping these in bittersweet chocolate as well, even if you don’t succeed in the tempering (I didn’t). They are soooo delicious.
oh HOLY COW! These are scrumptious! I made them per recipe and mmmmmmm….. definitely will go in the recipe diary! Much thanks Deb, Keep them coming please! And you photographs are the real pushers for trying the recipe out. Such cute cookies!
Hi! These cookies look amaaazing. I was just wondering if it would be possible to substitute the confectioners’ sugar with regular caster sugar, or even maple sugar? Will that greatly affect the texture of the cookies?
These look amazing! I just put together the dough today for another one of your cookies – the Punishments. I note that there you recommended using a food processor because it gave the appropriate granularity to the cook (grain-like texture). I’m wondering if these, too, wouldn’t benefit from using the food processor instead of an electric blender?
I Loooooved this recipe! so crumbly, flaky, buttery, and delicious little things! It was not sweet enough for my father though, so I am going to add a bit more it goes great with tea! I even melted some chocolate and made a sandwich!
I am going to be making these as part of my southern style wedding favors! (georgia). cutest design too!
You said not to reroll the scraps. Why is that? Does that apply to other cookie doughs? I’m fairly new to baking cookies and it’s something I would do if you hadn’t mention it.
Hi Jin — Actually, I think I rerolled them anyway. That said, if you cut them into squares as I did, you shouldn’t need to. The more cookies get rerolled, the more flour they pick up and the less tender they end up — I think that’s the only reason Fleming warned against it.
I just made these with locally-grown pecans. Delicious.
Nice recipe, Deb. My aunt has a similar recipe and I know first hand how delicious they are. She also garnish with a dab of cinnamon.
Hi! I just wanted to let you know that I am including these in a 25 days of Christmas cookies and bars post at mommy’s sweet confessions. They are beautiful!