This classic recipe comes from my Grandmother’s church cookbook. It is a treasure trove of old recipes that are absolutely delicious. Occasionally they need to be tweaked, but this Pecan Sandies recipe was perfect as is! You just can’t beat a five ingredient buttery cookie recipe. If you try this Pecan Sandies recipe or any of my others, please leave a comment and tell me what you thought. I love hearing from you!
Cream butter and sugar. You can do this with a stand mixer or hand mixer. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Then mix in the vanilla. Mix in the flour. Set the mixer to low and add all the flour at once. As soon as you can mix the flour without it flying out of the bowl, turn the mixer up. Mix until the flour is just combined. Add pecans. Stir them into the dough and then form the dough into balls. I think this is easiest using a cookie scoop. Place them on a baking sheet. Press the dough balls. Using a tumbler glass dipped in granulated sugar, press down the cookies until about 1/2 inch thick. You will need to re-dip the glass in sugar between cookies. Bake the cookies. Rotate the baking sheet in the middle of baking. Bake until the cookies are just beginning to turn golden around the edges.
Room temperature butter helps the cookies spread the right amount. You should be able to push a finger in to dent the butter, but not push all the way through. The butter will actually still feel cold to the touch. Pour in all the flour at once. Mix on low just enough to get most of it into the batter, and then turn to high for a few seconds to incorporate the rest. This prevents overmixing the dough. Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to get uniform-sized cookies that will bake evenly. Measure your flour correctly. See more on this important step below.
Whisk the flour in its container or bag. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup from the container it’s stored in. Level it off with the flat side of a spatula.
Roll the cookies into dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the freezer for two hours. Remove from the freezer and place the frozen dough balls into an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, they can be baked from frozen in a preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes.
If you freeze your pecan cookies after they are baked and cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. They can be eaten directly from the freezer or thawed before enjoying.
