Week 1 - Pecan Sandies

Week one - let's go!

I'm late with this post, unfortunately, but hopefully better late than never? My partner Kristen is clearly on the ball and is raising the bar :)

I'm going to take a page out of my partner's book and link directly to the good stuff in case you want to miss reading my preamble (I honestly wouldn't blame you, I typically do the same thing).

Want to skip to the photos? Click here
Want to skip to my process/thoughts during baking? Click here
Want to skip to my conclusion? Click here

Kristen went above and beyond and adapted the recipe - I strongly recommend you check out her post as well.

Ok. So. Sandies.

Would you believe I'd never heard of pecan sandies before this recipe?

I loved the story behind this one, and I actually almost missed this recipe entirely. When discussing which book & which recipe to start with, Kristen said something to the effect of "Looks like Pecan Sandies are our first recipe!" to which I replied "What's wrong with Oatmeal Raisin cookies?" As you'll see next week, those are actually week 2, and I skipped all the preamble, stories & notes in the beginning of the book - and this recipe as well.

That's my first lesson - read the book, Jenn. Don't skip to the good stuff, because you might miss some gold in the stuff you miss.

So much in life is a rush, and I find myself rushed off my feet a lot. I'm really trying to slow down and focus on the things that are important to me, like baking and connecting on deeper levels with my family, friends and community. This project attempts to do this exact thing.

I loved the story and dedication about these cookies. Thomas Keller's dedication to his mother, the history behind the cookies and the insight into the 'why' behind them was beautiful. It reminded me of how I feel when I bite into something that my own mom has baked, or when I pull a recipe out that was from one of my grandmothers.

"Food is a powerful connecter of who we are to who we were, to our past, to our memories, and, for me, to a different and simpler time. Even the smallest thing - a cookie - can help us understand what we feel now while reminding us of what we once felt and who we've become versus who we were then. So much of who I am today is tied to who my mom was, the choices she made, the way she worked, and how she lived her life. What success I have today, I owe to her."

- Thomas Keller, Bouchon Bakery

As much as I'll try not to duplicate content that Kristen includes, this quote resonates with me deeply and I couldn't not include it in my own post.

The Process

When I first read through this recipe, my thoughts were admittedly not the way I hope to continue through this book. I was skeptical, to say the least, and was expecting them to fail. I read a few other blogs & articles on other attempts at this cookie, and these were not very well received on the internet at all.

My thoughts were along the lines of "No salt? Really?" and "These are supposed to taste of vanilla, how are they supposed to do that without vanilla?". With eyebrows raised, hoping for the best (and expecting the worst), I carried out the recipe, as directed in the book.

My Observations

A lot of people seemed to have trouble getting these to stick together - I didn't have this trouble at all. I simply squished the 30g of dough in my hand firmly, and then coaxed it into a ball.
I baked these on convect - my oven has an automatic convection conversion (say that five times fast!) feature where you can set the oven to whatever the recipe calls for and it adjusts the temperature down for you.
After the prescribed convection time, they were still super pale and had no browning at all, so I left them in for another 5 minutes.
Out of the oven, slightly cool, these are not the greatest. I didn't like them at all, in fact, until I had let them cool completely and rest for a day or so.
I opted to bake these as written, and did not modify them or dust with optional powdered sugar.

Photos

My Conclusion

These cookies are delightful. Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth and small enough you don't feel guilty eating two (or more?). Perfect for a cup of coffee or tea in the morning or afternoon, or a drive-by-snack if it's too close to dinner to make anything substantial.

You must let them rest and cool completely to appreciate the full cookie flavour situation. Otherwise it'll get lost and you'll be left feeling like your efforts weren't worth the result, like I did initially. My partner, B, declared that these tasted exactly like the kind of cookies he dislikes, but agrees that over time they taste better (even though they're not his favourite).

Would I bake them again? Maybe. I'd like to experiment like Kristen did with toasting the pecans or adding a bit of Maldon flake salt on top for a bit of extra flavour, or even use a 50/50 blend of unsalted & salted butter.

That's it for this week! Thanks for reading, and we'll see you next week!