Prepare the pecans: Place the pecan pieces on a baking sheet and toast them for 8-10 minutes, tossing them every 2 minutes to make sure they aren't burning (this can happen rather quickly).Once the nuts have cooled, put ¾ cup of them into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pecans are just ground - the mixture should be a little thicker than sand.
Place the chopped and ground pecans into a large bowl and add the flour, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg, then the vanilla extract and beat until all items are well combined, like frosting.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Form the dough into 2-inch balls, and roll the balls in the sugar-salt mixture until coated. Place the balls on a baking sheet 3 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until they appear golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing. Makes 24-30 cookies, depending on how large you roll them.
Recipe by In Good Taste at https://ingoodtaste.kitchen/pecan-sandies/