Pecan Sandies Cookie Recipe With Powdered Sugar (2024)

FAQs

What does powdered sugar do in baking cookies? ›

Powdered sugar can be used for several purposes in baked goods: Sweetener: provides a sweet flavor. Tenderizer: interferes with gluten formation, protein coagulation and starch gelatinization. Shelf life improvement: reduces the amount of water available for microbial deterioration.

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 Protein Concentrate, Soy Lecithin.

It is not recommended to substitute powdered sugar for granulated sugar. Since powdered sugar has a much finer texture, and it contains a small percentage of cornstarch to prevent caking, substituting can give you unexpected results.

All levels of powdered sugar grind can be used interchangeably with each other in cookie recipes. But take note: powdered sugar is not to be substituted for granulated sugar or brown sugar, since the added cornstarch in powdered sugar changes cookie chemistry and texture.

The magic ratio is 1 cup granulated sugar to 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Combine the two in a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, a food processor, or spice grinder, then blitz away until you have a soft, powdery consistency—the total time could be several minutes, depending on the power of your machine.

After baking, I like to roll them in powdered sugar twice so they'll be well covered. The first time when the cookies are still warm, and the second time after they have cooled completely. You can roll them just once if you prefer, but I like just a little more sweetness.

Generally, it's recommended to use 1 cup of granulated sugar for 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar. A more accurate (and easier) way to substitute the sugars is based on weight, not volume. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of powdered sugar (4 ounces, or 113 grams), you should use 4 ounces of granulated sugar.

How to Substitute Powdered Sugar for Granulated Sugar. You can also use powdered sugar to replace up to 2 cups of granulated sugar, using 1 3/4 cup unsifted powdered sugar for each cup of sugar.

To make powdered sugar at home, you'll need two ingredients: granulated sugar and cornstarch. Use 1 tablespoon cornstarch for every cup of sugar.

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.

Check doneness by looking for an even, light brown colour across the top of the biscuits, with slight darkening at the edges. Begin checking at the tail end of the cooking time. Undercooked shortbread will be doughy and chewy. Slightly overcooked and it will become chalky, brittle and hard.

Unsalted butter for best results

Use unsalted butter for balanced flavour. Unsalted butter was traditionally used in baking because it was a superior product to salted - salt is used as a preservative so unsalted butter was thought to be fresher.

Use powdered sugar instead of flour to roll your dough: if you're like me and use every bit of your dough, I recommend using powdered sugar instead of flour to roll your dough. When I use flour it adds too much flour to the dough and makes it drier.

Made from pulverized white sugar, powdered sugar is frequently used for dusting sweet treats and making frostings and glazes. Powdered sugar also lends baked goods, such as cakes and cookies, a light and fluffy texture.

In short, NO. Powdered sugar is just ordinary sugar which has been made into a powdered form and sometimes has cornstarch added to prevent clumping, whereas baking powder is a solid mixture that is used as a chemical leavening agent in baked goods.