Paco asked if I could make pecan sandies, and I said, “Sure!”  I pulled a fast one on him though, and used walnuts instead.  I always have walnuts on hand, and I often use them as a substitute for pecans.  Yes, I realize they’re not exactly the same, but for me, they’ll do the trick.

I used a super simple recipe from Taste of Home and modified it a bit.

Walnut Sandies
Adapted from Taste of Home

1/2 c of butter, room temperature
1/4 c sugar, plus an addition 2-3 T
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 c flour
1/2 c walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the butter and 1/4 c of sugar until the mixture has a creamy consistency. Add the vanilla and salt and combine. Add the flour and walnuts, and stir until roughly combined. If you are not using an electric mixer, the mixture might not quite come together, but that’s okay.

Roll the dough into small balls, about 3/4 inches in diameter. Roll the balls in the additional 2-3 T of sugar.

Place the balls onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart, then use the tines of a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.

Bake for 15 minutes.