Sand tart sugar cookies are a slightly different version of the simple sugar cookie we all know and love. Crispy, sweet and so delicious!
Aaaah, sand tart sugar cookies. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a plate of Mom’s homemade sand tarts! I grew up eating these every year, so it’s one of my absolute favorite holiday cookies. They’re also fun to make!
The weather outside is cold and dreary, and the forecast predicts snow. It’s a perfect day to be in the kitchen baking some delightful sand tart sugar cookies. There are various events and family holiday parties coming up, where we were asked to bring several dozens of baked goods, and so we shall start on our holiday baking for this year.
Baking is therapeutic, I find. Measuring, mixing, rolling, (sampling), baking… all good things – especially on a rainy day! The kitchen is cozy and warm and inviting. So without further ado, let’s don our kitchen aprons and create some tasty treats!
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Supplies We Used
- Electric stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatulas (becasue you can never have too many of these in the kitchen!)
- Rolling pin – roll out that dough
- Thin metal spatula – this little thing is my current favorite tool to transfer the cookies to the baking sheets
- Cookie sheets
- Cookie cutters
- Wire cooling racks
Ingredients
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Eggs
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Vanilla
- Colored sanding sugar
How to make Sand Tart Sugar Cookies
To begin, cream the softened butter and the brown and white sugar together for 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
Add in the egg, then mix well.
Dump in the rest of the ingredients – milk, flour, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla, and mix well.
Transfer dough to a plate or bowl. Cover and refrigerate until stiff; an hour or more. Overnight is fine too!
After the dough is has chilled the refrigerator, then allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature before beginning on the next step.
Dust a layer of flour on the surface you plan to use to do the rolling and cutting. (You may wish to use a large cutting board or mat, to avoid scratching your countertop!) Proceed to roll out the dough until it’s very thin, and about one eighth to one sixteenth inches thick.
Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shaped cookies.
Carefully transfer the cookies to a greased cookie sheet. This can be a challenge! A thin cookie spatula or scraper is ideal for transferring these cookies.
Now for the decorating! (My favorite part!) Sanding sugar comes in all sorts of fun colors. Go ahead and decorate the cookies with sanding sugar (and more! See Customization section below) however you please.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cookies are toasty and golden brown.
Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks for Sand Tart Sugar Cookies
The key to making authentic and perfect sand tarts is rolling the dough out very thin, and baking until golden brown and crispy – almost like a cracker.
The dough doesn’t roll out the nicest immediately after removing from the fridge, so it’s totally ok
to allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before rolling!
It’s important to have your surface floured well, so the cookies don’t stick to the surface and you can easily transfer them to the cookie sheet!
If you don’t have cookie cutters, a cup or drinking glass turned upside down works as well!
Customization
Use your imagination when it comes to decorating; for example, one delicious option is cinnamon sugar instead of sanding sugar. You can make your own by mixing equal parts cinnamon and white sugar. Nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, M&Ms, anything you can think of!
How to store Sand Tart Sugar Cookies
Store in an airtight container for up to one week at room temperature or freeze for a couple months.
Pro tip: Don’t store these in the same container as other kinds of cookies! They lose that amazing crisp-ness and get somewhat soft.
Pin this recipe for later!
Sand Tart Sugar Cookies
Sand tart sugar cookies are a slightly different version of the simple sugar cookie we all know and love. Crispy, sweet and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- Sanding sugar
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together for 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Add in the egg, mixing well.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is well mixed together.
- Shape dough into a disk, cover or wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
- After the dough has chilled, allow to rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling. (Optional)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dust your surface with flour and proceed to roll out the dough very thin.
- Use your cookie cutters to cut out your favorite shapes and carefully transfer to a greased cookie sheet.
- Decorate the cookies with however much sanding sugar, sprinkles, etc. you desire!
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until toasty and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
If your cookies turned out thin and crispy almost like a cracker, they're perfect! You nailed it!
Store in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
40Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 58Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 43mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
Nutrition info isn't always accurate.
Have you tried Sand Tart Sugar Cookies?
Leave a comment below! Also, check out our Painted Sour Cream Cut-Out Sugar Cookies next!
Thanks so much for coming!
We appreciate you.
’til next time, we love you and we’ll be praying for you,
Julie
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