bites out of life | Toasted Pecan Sandies

Toasted Pecan Sandies | bites out of li fe
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Yield: about 60 cookies, 1 inch in diameter
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted
butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup whole or chopped
pecans
- 1-2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- powdered sugar for dusting
1) Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at 350˚F (your toasting
time will be longer if using whole pecans, much shorter if using chopped ones — watch
the oven like a hawk), tossing the nuts halfway through so that they toast evenly. Remove
them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
2) Grind the nuts finely using a coffee or spice grinder. You can use a food processor, the
nuts won’t be as finely ground and you’ll get small pieces of pecan in your cookie. I
much prefer the finer grind, but that may also be because I only have a coffee grinder and
not a food processor — if you don’t have a coffee grinder, use the processor by all
means.
3) In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy,
about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
4) Add the pecans, flour and salt. Beat until combined, about 1 minute. The dough will be
extremely sticky.
5) Flour palms and begin rolling the cookies into 3/4-inch balls. Place on a lined baking
sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350˚F until the edges are just beginning to brown, 20-25
minutes.
6) Sift powdered sugar on top of the cookies while still warm. Allow to cool before
eating.
From: http://www.bitesoutoflife.com/2010/12/30/toasted-pecan-sandies/