pecan sandies
About two weeks prior to any holiday, I receive a card in the mail. It’s usually stuffed inside a brightly-colored envelope, my grandmothers’ loopy script scrawling out my name and address across the front. In February, the envelope might be a deep magenta; in October, a firery orange. Inside the envelope is a card, one out of an 8-pack (the remaining identical cards are sent in different directions to my sister and my cousins and other relatives). The card itself has a little quip or poem about the impending holiday (the most recent one I received featured a dachsund in a witch’s hat and proclaimed, in the inside of the card, “Happy Halloweenie!”) and, better still, a short little note from my grandparents. There’s always a bill folded in half, slipped inside the card, but, of course, that’s not the point.
The point is the thoughtfulness. The dependability. The tradition. Now that I live in Chicago while my grandma lives in northern Minnesota, these cards, knit together throughout the year, make up a part of our relationship. To remind her how special I think these cards are, I decided to send my grandparents a package of cookies.
I opted for pecan sandies, a cookie I recall seeing at their house when I visited as a kid. It also happens to be a cookie I quite like. It’s sandy and rich and delicate. Where chocolate chip cookies are homey, best eaten straight from the cookie jar and call for a tall glass of milk, a pecan sandie calls instead for a lace doiley or a linen napin, along with a pretty tea cup, clanking in its saucer. Chocolate chip cookies are a bit more everyday, but pecan sandies seem like a cookie for an occasion—perhaps a ladies’ luncheon or a game of bridge. And I hoped that my grandma would love them.
So I mixed the dough together, rolled into rows of neat little balls, gently pressed a pecan half into the top of each ball and baked them up. Once baked, they smelled of toasted nuts and that seductive aroma of butter and sugar that has just met the oven. I let them cool and showered them with powdered sugar and tucked them into a little container, which I wrapped with a floppy bow, and walked the cookies to the UPS store down the street.
They made the quick journey up to Minnesota where I’m told my grandparents devoured them (my grandma, she confessed, eating more than her fair share). While I loved to do this small thing for them and I love that my grandma dutifully mails those holiday cards, sometimes I get sad that we have to depend so much on these packages criss-crossing their way across the midwest to keep in touch during the long gaps between visits. But, this week, we’re all together on the beach in Mexico, here for my childhood best friend’s wedding. And it feels so good to be together—really together, without the aid of the postal service. Now, if only I’d thought to bring some of these cookies along for the trip …
Pecan Sandies
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Yield: 5 dozen cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup pecans, finely ground
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
60 whole pecan halves
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
Mix ground pecans with flour and salt, and add to butter mixture. Beat, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium, until combined, about 1 minute.
Lightly flour palms, if necessary, and roll dough into 3/4-inch balls (a small ice cream scoop works well here, too). Place on an ungreased baking sheet 1 inch apart. Gently press a pecan halve into each cookie.
Bake until just brown on edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet while still warm; sift confectioners’ sugar over tops.
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Ok, this post made me tear up. Really one of your best.
I hope you had so much fun in Mexico and are adjusting to the early darkness.
I can’t wait to make these cookies!
Gorgeous photos!
Oh yum! They are darling. As is your story about your grandma. I’m sure she’ll love the cookies.
Your grandma sounds thoughtful and fun (Halloweenie!
). Thanks for sharing!
~ingrid
What a wonderful post Kristin! Your grandmother sounds very thoughtful
My grandmother used to send me cards when she was alive and I always loved receiving them. Glad the cookies were a hit and hope you enjoy the family time in Mexico!
Oh, this is SO GOING on my holiday baking list!!! I always make cookie boxes for my friends with two kinds of cookies and biscotti, and this year, I’m in love with pecans! What do you think about adding a little orange zest to the batter? Would it complement the pecan flavors? In any case, I feel like a test batch is necessary…
MMMMMMMMM,…your pecan sandies look so delectable!!
that is an easy way to make the same sized cookies,…with an ice cream scoop! Neat idea!
I also have to rely on post service, telephone and emails, my family being in France and me in NY. But cooking and the blog is a good way for me to keep in touch with them and share new recipes together – my mom and I will email each other recipes all the time!
I cannot wait to make these! Your recipes are such an inspiration to me. I probably try at least a third of the things you make and some of my very favorite recipes have been discovered on this blog! I still have dreams about the bourbon glazed ribs…annnd now I have lost focus for the rest of the day.
Thank you for your sweet story as well. I am an artist at Hallmark-like any creative job, it can be a little frustrating at times. Stories like this really help to make it feel worthwhile.
I love pecan sandies. I can’t make them because my son is allergic to nuts, but your pics are so lovely that I can almost taste them
Now that’s what I call a little piece of heaven!
Awww. I love coming to your blog and reading your entries, you have such a beautiful way with words. Your cookies look lovely as well.
Those look delicious – and a nice change from classic chocolate chip. But more importantly, what an adorable story! My grandmother sometimes sends me recipes in the mail, but the most recent was for honey cake, which is not really my, um, cup of tea…
Nice post Kristin – you really are a great writer. These cookies look delicious – they are going on my list to bake.
Such a lovely post…I hope that your grandma reads the blog! I’m sure she was very touched by the cookies and your kind words.
These cookies look so fancy! That was such a nice story.
These look just great – love your photos too – perfectly delicious
I so miss my grandparents, all of whom have passed away. Thanks for the beautiful post, and for sharing a little bit of your grandma with all of us.
That’s a charming story, Kristin. And the pecan sandies are just the dearest little cookies I have seen in ages! A perfect mouthful. Your grandparents will love them- even more because you made them with so much love.
Your grandma sounds like a gem
What a beautiful post. And those sandies look absolutely perfect too!
Did they make it in the mail? I got nervous after I made them that they wouldn’t make it safely (the pecans were precariously balanced!). So we ate them all this morning.
And I only made 3 dozen. Think I rolled them too big or ate too much dough?
Victoria: As far as I know, they did make it in the mail (though I wouldn’t be surprised if a pecan or two dislodged). Doesn’t sound like such a bad turn of events, though, to have to eat them all for breakfast. : ) The dough was SO good (egg-free too, so nothing to stop you from sampling). I’m so glad you tried these! Thanks for reporting back.
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