Pecan Sandies

Once again I was paired with Min for Taste and Create for the month of October. Taste and Create is a food blog event started by Nicole of For the Love of Food, in which participants are paired with each other and asked to create a recipe from their partner's blog. I was paired with Min in October 2008 and I made these soft homemade breadsticks.

I had a numerous delicious recipes to try from her blog and wanted to try as many as possible. But since I was out of time, I could make only one of her recipes. I tried out these pecan sandies. And it was an instant hit at my place. I have always loved the pecan sandies from the stores, but I find that these are best homemade, being made more healthier and without preservatives and artificial ingredients. And do go and check out Min's blog for some amazing recipes. I loved her baking section especially. I pretty much follwed her recipe for the pecan sandies, except that I toasted the pecans for a few minutes.


Here is the recipe for the pecan sandies...

Ingredients
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup
Light brown sugar - 1/2 cup packed
All-Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
Pecans - 1 cup chopped
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Directions

Toast the pecans in a pan on medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes. you could even toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300F.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy.
Slowly add in the salt and vanilla. Gradually add in the flour and continue beating until it comes together. Finally fold in the pecans.
The dough might be smooth. Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and flatten them slightly. Place them on a cookie sheet with about 1/2 inch apart. Bake them for about 15 to 17 minutes until golden brown.
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.


Enjoy the sandies with a glass of milk or a cuppa tea!