Pecan Sandies are my favorite cookies, well I am not known to ever turn down any cookie, but these do hold special meaning. In high school I cannot even recall how my ritual came to be, but before very tennis match I happily munched on a package of pecan sandies while washing them down with a Hawaiian punch. Did I need the extra sugar boost for the match, did they help calm my nerves, who knows? The craving for pecan sandies stayed with me, the Hawaiian punch, thankfully that part of my ritual ended. While I was expecting my first daughter the cravings were intense, pecan sandies with milk, crumbled over ice cream and even dipped in chocolate. I would even go as far as lying to my hubby stating that they were stale, or inedible just not to admit I had eaten the entire package. When I began baking one of the first recipe I sought out was for sandies. The first attempt was just sad, the texture was off, the bottoms burnt and I was left disappointed. I blamed my amateur baking skills for the outcome, only to find myself baking a total of three more recipes. I finally pushed aside the sandie quest, for fear of beginning to hate them all together. I came to rely on my faithful packaged sandies to get me through my cravings. When I decided to take the leap into blog world, I knew they would begin to haunt me, for I had quit buying any treat that was packaged as I baked my favorites to showcase here on my blog.
In the beginning of my blog, I admit to being very selfish. This was my space, my words, my recipes. Little did I know that my oldest daughter would become very, very, connected to the complete process. Many of you have seen her posts, which come in my times of peril and I remain grateful to her. The thing is she fills me with confidence, sometimes I think too much. She wanted to bake sandies, sandies..how cruel? After I calmed down, I realized it was time to face the beast, the beast I wanted to conquer. I am sure many of you think what beast? It’s just cookies. To me sandies are memories, memories of my youth and memories of my dad. Really who do you think purchased each package and a cold Hawaiian punch before he came to see me play? Papi did. So pardon this next line, it was time to put my “big girl panties on” and research more recipes. Luckily my hubby’s family is from Hondo, Texas which gave me the advantage to superb Pecans. Yes, please begin this cookie recipe, if you should attempt them with quality pecans. Pecan sandies are a shortbread cookie studded with pecans. The dough is rolled in sugar before being placed on the cookie sheet, then topped off with a whole pecan. Pecans are the star and they should be the best you can find, I of course used Pecans from Hondo, Texas. The Pecan tree is our state tree, so we Texans value quality pecans. I totally hoard mine, in the deep dark corner of the freezer where no one ever looks (except mommy), you know the spot.
There are between 600,000 to 1 million acres of native pecans growing along the numerous rivers, streams and creeks throughout Texas. Year after year, Texas is the nation’s largest producer of native pecans. Of the total number of native trees in Texas, approximately 40,000 acres are managed consistently. Farmers markets and roadside stands are the best outlets for these selections.
Texas is the country’s second-largest producer of orchard-grown pecans. Twenty percent of the state’s pecan industry is found in El Paso. Other production areas for the pecan are in Central Texas, which includes Austin and Bastrop, San Saba, Comanche County and a portion of the Coastal Bend area around Seguin.
The pecan tree is classified as an alternate bearing fruit, producing a bumper crop every other year. Texas produced 70 million pounds of pecans in 2001, up from 30 million pounds in 2000. In 1999, Texas produced a near-record 90 million pounds of nuts valued at over $68 million. And, for the pecan industry, its not all fruit cake and pies. Pecan shells are used to manufacture filler for plastic and veneer wood. Pecan wood is used for furniture, agricultural implements, flooring, firewood and even baseball bats. All together the Texas pecan makes an important contribution to the Texas farming industry.
from Pick Texas
After scouring my many cookbooks, I decided on a recipe from a Hometown series. Who could go wrong with hometown recipes? Quick tip, do not eat the batter..it’s good. Chuls, pips and I licked our fingers repeatedly. When they came out of the oven, I was nervous..in a excited kind of way. They were good, really good. I was happy, Chuls was excited and pips well she’s always happy! I felt complete, okay that uber mushy. I was happy, really really happy! (I already packaged some for Papi!) Don’t try to compare these to store bought brands, because they are so so not. They are crumbly, crunchy and the salt makes the pecans pop. Popping pecans, I mean can you really ask for more? Enjoy!! Sweet Life
Pecan Sandies
1 cup margarine (i used butter)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 eggs
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (i used freshly ground)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
2 cups chopped pecans
whole pecans
————
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, cream margarine, vegetable oil, 1 cup granulated sugar and powdered sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs one at a time; stir in nutmeg and vanilla.
Fold in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
Mix in chopped pecans.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in remaining granulated sugar.
Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Press 1 whole pecan into top of each dough ball.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
make 4 – 5 dozen
I just tried out the recipie, they turned out great! I actually halved it and it still made a ton. The only thing I did differently was roll up the dough into two logs, and sliced them after a chill in the fridge. I skipped the extra sugar dusting, and they look fantastic. And I did get my hands on Texas pecans all the way up here in Missouri!
Hi roxanne~ So glad you tried them, they are one of my favorite cookies!! Great idea to roll them into logs! Texas pecan in Missouri, love it!
vianney~sweet life
Roxanne; what a great idea to log the dough, I’m doing it with my other cookie
recipes, too. It saves a lot of time!
The cookies look perfect! I’ve been in Texas for the past 6 months and never knew that Texas is the biggest producer of pecans! I gotto go out and but some!
Us Texas girls need to stick together!!! These are the best for showcasing our awesome TX pecans! (I changed up a recipe from Paula Deen…) Yum Yum and double Yum! (next year we need to compare our best pecan recipes!) Have a Merry Christmas!
@UrMomCooks…oh aren’t Texas Pecasn the best!! compare best pecan recipe..oh let’s do it!!
sweetlife
Did you think I’d pass by an not grab your version of pecan sandies. I go nuts for pecans. LOL…Maybe I should move to Texas;o)
Glad you use butter instead of margarine. I also never put cream of tarter…I’ll have to try it next time ;o)
I’m so glad you have this wonderful relationship with your daughter…reminds me of mine with my Mommy. Great support.
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
Oh yikes!!! How many of your posts have I missed?? Never mind, don’t answer that 😛 I promise to catch up 😉
LOVE pecans and shortbread, so though I’ve never had pecan sandies, I know I will love these! Gorgeous pics!!
This sure is making me hungry right now after waking up!!! They look so fresh and delicious! You always bake the best goodies!!
have a lovely day!
jen @ http://www.passion4food.ca
Wait, is that really 1 cup butter (as in, 2 sticks) PLUS 1 cup of oil for only 2 dozen cookies? Can that be right?
@Dessert For Two…thanks, oh goodness how did I miss that? I have been entering so many cookie recipes I must have typed it wrong, they really do make alot…the first batch my girls and I rolled our balls of dough way too big and they were huge, tasty but huge! oh yes arrested on sight and no chance parole..lol thanks for pointing this out!!
sweetlife
I have been looking all over for the perfect pecan sandie recipe! This one looks like it’s the one! I can’t wait to try it! Thanks a million!
If you don’t use Texas pecans in pecan sandies, I think you should be arrested 🙂
These cookies look awesome…love the melt in your mouth texture…they are absolutely gorgeous…
Awesome! This is a perfect cookie to add the the great Christmas cookie hoopla that is currently going on in my house!
These are scrumptious looking, love pecans!
I bet you would also love my Pecan Nut Biscuits.
http://wp.me/pT5Tj-tZ
🙂 Mandy
What a great post! Since moving to Texas in August, I’ve become well acquainted with the beautiful pecan trees we have here! I love having a recipe that honors those wonderful nuts, and also brings me back to childhood (I would eat these at tennis matches too!) Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you have a great Monday!
I love pecan sandies but have never tried making them. I’m glad to hear that your daughter is involved in the cooking and blogging process, there’s a lot of great stuff that she is learning.
These cookies look fabulously crumbly and buttery!
I have not had a pecan sandie in so long, and now I am craving one. I’ll swap you, I just made some delicious rum balls, but the batch was huge – 250 balls, so I feel I have some to play with =)
Love the frosting of sugar crystals on the crisp Pecan Scandies.
Oooh…I love these shortbreads. I’m bookmarking it to try one of these days. Thanks very much for sharing. I can see myself eating non stop 😛
OMG, I think I am pregnant, I want these now…. your description of these sounds incredibly delicious, just what a sandie should be, crumbly, crunchy, salty and loaded with pecans – you found a winner here
What a beautiful cookie – and I had no idea that Texas produced so many pecans…. YUM. Isn’t it WONDERFUL that your daughter is learning and LOVING to bake and to cook. Good for mommy and Standing Ovation to daughter.
🙂
Valerie
Haha I’ve definitely told my roommates that various desserts have gone bad just so they wouldn’t know that I ate them all. Hey, some things in life are just too delicious to have self control over. These look so cute and perfect!
Pecan sandies aren’t my most favorite cookie, but when I start eating them, I can’t stop! One of the wineries that I am a member to had a party last year on the day of the kentucky derby and they had piles and piles of pecan sandies. I ate so many of them!
Oooooooo pour me some hot tea, please!
Hey Bonnie! You know, I never really ate pecan sandies that often, but I do remember having one and thinking how rich and wonderful the texture was. And I think of them as a Christmas cookie for some reason too-maybe b/c it’s a shortbread with a seasonal nut at this time of year? Either way, yours look delicious and your photos are really stellar here;-)
p.s. I never would have thought that the pecan was Texas’ state tree…
Have a relaxing weekend, Bonnie.