Sand Tarts Recipes

NANA'S CRESCENTS OR SAND TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• With an electric mixer or by hand, cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add vanilla and then stir in flour and chopped nuts until combined. Roll tablespoon-sized pieces of dough into crescent shapes. Repeat until no dough remains. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden.
• While cookies are in the oven, put 2 cups powdered sugar in a large resealable bag. Remove cookies from baking sheet and add them to the bag of powdered sugar. Carefully turn cookies in sugar while they are still hot. Remove cookies from bag and shake lightly to remove excess sugar.

SAND TARTS

Steps:

• Beat butter in large bowl until light. Beat in 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Add flour and mix until just blended. Stir in nuts. Shape dough into a ball, then flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place on prepared sheets, spacing evenly. Bake about 20 minutes, or until firm and lightly colored.
• Sift 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Transfer cookies to confectioners' sugar while still warm and roll gently to coat. Immediately transfer cookies to plastic bag and seal (this makes the cookies sweat and form an icing). Let stand 5 minutes in the bag. Transfer to rack and cool.

GRANDMOM'S SAND TARTS

Steps:

• Cream the butter, sugar and eggs together. Add just enough flour to stiffen. Dough should be slightly sticky. Place dough in the refrigerator and let chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a very small bowl combine the egg white and the milk. Set aside.
• Remove small amount of dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface roll it out very thin. Cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass dipped in flour. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and paint the top with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and top with a pecan half. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes and the edges are slightly browned. Watch these cookies closely for they burn very easily.

SAND TARTS

Steps:

• Stir together butter and 1 cup sugar vigorously with a wooden spoon in a large bowl until combined well, then stir in whole egg and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and stir until just incorporated.
• Transfer dough to a 24-inch-long sheet of wax paper. Using sheet as an aid, roll dough into a 12-inch-long log (2 inches wide). Chill, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets with additional butter.
• Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl.
• Cut chilled log crosswise into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices, arranging slices about 1 inch apart to fill both baking sheets (chill remainder of log wrapped in wax paper). Lightly brush sliced cookies with some egg white, then sprinkle with some of cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough, cooling and greasing baking sheets between batches.