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5 from 2 reviews
Recipe by becky
Comprised of butter, sugar, and flour and decorated with fun toppings, this old fashioned sand tart recipe is a PA Dutch Christmas cookie baking tradition.
For the Dough:
454 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 pound; sticks)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
454 grams granulated sugar (1 pound; 2 1/4 cups)
680 grams all purpose flour (1 1/2 pounds; 5 1/4 cups)
To Decorate:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Cinnamon sugar
Walnuts
Other toppings* (other nuts, sprinkles, colored sugars) as desired
In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter on high speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in the eggs, followed by the sugar. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just barely incorporated, with no dry spots remaining.

Flatten into discs. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C).
With a wooden rolling pin, roll dough very, very thin, less than 1/8-inch thickness. Dough should look almost translucent, but not be so thin that it tears when you move the cookies.

Cut shapes with a metal cookie cutter.

With a metal spatula, transfer cookies to a large, unlined, ungreased baking tray.


With a pastry brush, brush tops with a very thin layer of egg wash. Sprinkle with desired toppings.



Bake in preheated oven for 8-11 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges.


Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.


Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe adapted from The Amish-Dutch Cookbook by Ruth Redcay.
This recipe will make lots and lots of sand tarts! The exact amount will depend on the size of the cutters you use. You can easily halve the recipe and still have plenty of cookies to share. I find that a half batch typically yields about 75-80 smaller (2-2 1/2-inch) cookies.
*Traditional sand tarts are topped with cinnamon sugar, and sometimes walnuts. However, there are lots of creative toppings you can use instead. Some suggestions include colored sugars, sprinkles, or other kinds of nuts such as pistachios or pecans.

