Cookie Thursday: Sand Tarts (recipe)

With lots of baking planned this weekend, as well as recovery from last weekend’s marathon of cupcakes, I needed a little break on this week’s Cookie Thursday. Instead, I offer you an old family recipe, which will double as my entry into Vintage Recipe Thursday, hosted by Joy of Joy of Desserts. 

Sand Tarts have been a family favorite since the 1930′s, according to a little note written on the bottom of my copy. My Mom used to make them every year at Christmas; they were always part of her holiday cookie assortment. My favorite memory about this cookie was putting the blanched almond in the center of each cookie, as well as the year my Mom let me sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top!

Sand Tarts

• 1 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 4 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cinnamon sugar and blanched almond halves

Cream butter until light; gradually add in sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest.

Sift flour and salt together. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until well blended. Cover with wax paper and chill in refrigerator two hours or more.

Preheat oven to 400F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

When ready to bake, roll the dough to 1/8″ thick on a lightly floured board. Either use a diamond shaped cookie cutter, or using a butter knife, cut the dough into diamonds (a picture here would be worthwhile!). Put cut out diamonds on prepared cookie sheets.

Beat remaining egg white slightly, and brush tops of cookies. Press blanched almond halves in center and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 

Bake 8 minutes, until lightly browned.