Pecan Sandies: a Cross Between a Drop Cookie and Shortbread (2024)

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Pecan Sandies are a cross between a rich shortbread and a dropcookie.

The buttery richness of these cookies is reminiscent ofshortbread. Yet you can use margarine rather than butter in this recipe andstill enjoy a lush flavor, thanks to the pecans which add depth to the flavorof the dough.

Most shortbread, however, is baked in one pan and then cutinto pieces. Sandies are individually-formed cookies. Like other drop cookies,Sandies are shaped by “dropping” or pushing spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a bakingsheet. During baking, the mounds of dough flatten and spread. Drop cookie doughvaries in texture from quite soft to stiff. This particular recipe produces a stiffdough that must be pushed with a finger, spoon, or spatula onto the bakingsheet.

Pecan Sandies: a Cross Between a Drop Cookie and Shortbread (2)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 12-15 minutes

Makes about 4 dozen large cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, room temperature

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

1 ¼ packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly grease baking sheets.
  • Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed,cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl continually.Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
  • Gradually stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture a bit ata time until well blended. Add pecans to the dough, mixing them in with awooden spoon.
  • Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets,2 inches apart.
  • Bake 12-15 minutes until cookies are lightly brown aroundthe edges. Remove cookie sheets from the oven. Allow cookies to sit for 5minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack. Coolcompletely.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container.

Special Baking Tips forPecan Sandies from The Elf

  • For an extra rich, buttery flavor, use butter rather thanmargarine.
  • When chopping pecans, leave in a few larger pieces. Pecanchunks in make cookies extra flavorful.
  • Try toasting pecans to give cookies a nuttier flavor.Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray baking sheet and pecan pieces with vegetable oilcooking spray. Bake nuts for 10-15 minutes, turning once.
  • For softer, chewier cookies bake on the low side of therecommended time. For crisper cookies, bake a few minutes longer.

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Pecan Sandies: a Cross Between a Drop Cookie and Shortbread (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between sandies and shortbread? ›

That's because pecan sandies are a type of shortbread cookie. They get their name from their sandy texture—in French, similar cookies are known as sablé which means sand. Sandies are more soft and crumbly than a sugar cookie. They're made with light brown sugar, which adds rich caramel notes to their nutty flavor.

Why are pecan sandies called sandies? ›

These cookies are named after their crumbly texture. They have a sandy or breadcrumb-like texture when the flour and butter are mixed together. Pecan Sandies are also a sandy color, which makes the name very fitting.

What's the difference between a cookie and a shortbread? ›

One of the key differences between cookies and shortbreads is the use of a leavening agent. Unlike shortbreads, all cookies require a leavening agent to achieve their light and airy texture. This crucial ingredient works by producing carbon dioxide, which expands the cookie dough and creates the desired texture.

What type of cookie are balls of dough are dropped on to a cookie sheet from a spoon? ›

Dropped or Drop cookies are the easiest and most basic cookies you can make. Their dough is generally made from old-fashioned, simple and homey recipes. Some of the most popular ones are chocolate chip, cowboy, or oatmeal raisin.

Who made the original pecan sandies? ›

The Keebler Company mass-produces and markets Sandies Classic (plain), Pecan, and Cashew shortbread cookies. Keebler first purveyed Sandies cookies in 1955 and added a toffee variety in 1993.

What was shortbread originally called? ›

The story of shortbread begins with the medieval “biscuit bread”. Any leftover dough from bread making was dried out in a low oven until it hardened into a type of rusk: the word “biscuit” means “twice cooked”. Gradually the yeast in the bread was replaced by butter, and biscuit bread developed into shortbread.

What are the ingredients in Keebler Pecan Sandies? ›

ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN), FOLIC ACID), SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL, SUGAR, PECANS, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SALT, EGGS, BAKING SODA, VANILLA FLAVORING, WHEY, SOY LECITHIN.

Do Pecan Sandies have dairy? ›

Contains wheat, pecan, egg, milk and soy ingredients.

How many calories are in Pecan Sandies? ›

Nutrition Facts

There are 168 calories in a 2 cookies (31.000g) serving size of KEEBLER, SANDIES, Pecan Shortbread Cookies.

Why is shortbread not a biscuit? ›

Believe it or not, shortbread isn't a bread at all, but rather, a biscuit. The name can be attributed to the fact that the government once placed taxes on biscuits; so, to dodge the taxes, Scottish bakers labeled the pastry as bread.

Are shortcake biscuits the same as shortbread? ›

Shortbread is similar to shortcake but doesn't include baking powder. Lots of rich butter gives shortbread a high fat content, resulting in a fine, crumbly texture. Shortcake and shortbread biscuits are delicious on their own, with fruit and cream, or simply topped with a delicate dusting of sugar.

What's the difference between lady fingers and shortbread? ›

Shortbread is a tight crumb, crisp, and buttery cookie, yet ladyfingers are light, airy, and meringue-based. So the two are very different cookies in several ways. However, both ladyfingers and shortbread are often used in trifles and other layered desserts.

What is a soft dough pushed from a spoon into a cookie sheet? ›

Drop cookies are made from a dough that is pushed from a spoon onto a cookie sheet. You should allow about 2 inches (5 cm) of space between the cookies to keep them from spreading into each other. Use the same amount of dough on the spoon each time so that the cookies will be uniform in size.

What is a drop cookie? ›

“Drop cookie” is a term applied to cookie recipes where bakers “drop” cookie dough from a spoon or cookie scoop onto a baking sheet, rather than roll it out or cut it into specific shapes.

Why do my cookies look like muffin tops? ›

Using too little butter won't kill your cookies, and they'll still be tasty, but it will make them lightweight. These cookies were most similar to the batch that included too much egg. These just puffed up differently — they had more of a muffin top.

Is shortcake the same as shortbread? ›

Shortbread is similar to shortcake but doesn't include baking powder. Lots of rich butter gives shortbread a high fat content, resulting in a fine, crumbly texture. Shortcake and shortbread biscuits are delicious on their own, with fruit and cream, or simply topped with a delicate dusting of sugar.

What makes shortbread different? ›

Dated back to the 12th century, a shortbread is a traditional Scottish cookie. Shortbread is a denser, crumblier cookie than sugar cookies and are often described as 'short' due to their high ratio of butter to flour which results in a rich, melt-in-the-mouth consistency.

Is shortbread supposed to be sandy? ›

Shortbread has so few ingredients that you can't get away with cutting corners; good quality butter and sugar are essential, and plenty of them. Rice flour gives it that special sandy texture that sets it apart from the common biscuit, and a pinch of salt helps to balance that rich, delicious sweetness.

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