I’m very excited to share a recipe from my friend, Courtney’s family. I’ve been watching Court roll out these super thin, almost translucent sugar cookies for the last few years and never knew what these cookies were called. When Court hosted her cookie making and decorating party again this year, I knew I wanted to find out more about her family’s cookie recipe. I wasn’t sure if Court would be open to sharing her family’s cookie recipe, but when I asked her, she graciously shared the ratios for the cookie recipe. She described the cookies as a German style thin sugar cookie called sand tarts. These sand tarts are paper-thin, brushed with a layer of egg wash, topped with cinnamon sugar, and finished with a heaping spoonful of sprinkles. I love attending Court’s cookie parties each year. Not only is it fun and relaxing, everyone gets to go home with a container of cookies. The entire cookie making and decorating process is also a great way to relax after a long week of work. We love using the different cookie cutters Court has collected over time. There are a number of cookie cutters that form shapes up for interpretation. I like to use the ice cream cone cookie cutter because it can also be interpreted as a clown wearing a party hat when flipped upside down. We also go crazy with decorating the cookies, which makes the process even better. A cookie party is a great way to start the holiday season after Thanksgiving. I’m excited to start experimenting with different cookie recipes in my kitchen at home. I cannot wait to create a holiday cookie recipe to share with family and friends down the road.
Note: This recipe makes a ton of cookies. Depending on how thin you roll out the cookies, you could end up with hundreds of paper-thin cookies. This year, her recipe yielded over 400 hundred paper-thin cookies.
Grandma Wetzel’s Sand Tarts
· 2 cups granulated sugar
· 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
· 3 large eggs
· 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the egg wash:
· 1 large egg
· 1 tablespoon of water
For decorating the cookies:
· ¼ cup fine sugar
· 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
· Rainbow sprinkles, sanding sugar, nonpareils, or any sprinkles of your choice
Directions:
1) In a large stand mixer, add the sugar and butter. Using low speed, combine the butter and sugar until fluffy.
2) Add the eggs, one at a time. Let the mixture combine after each addition. Add the flour one cup at a time. Blend until the dough comes together.
3) Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least two hours before rolling out.
4) When you are ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F.
5) Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and water. Set aside.
6) Prepare the cinnamon sugar by combining the sugar and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
7) Divide the dough into about two-inch-wide dough balls. Roll each dough ball out until translucent. Use different cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet.
8) Brush each cookie with egg wash. Sprinkle each cookie with the cinnamon sugar. Top with any sprinkles of your choice.
9) Bake the cookies in the oven for 9 minutes. Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes before digging in.
Takeaways: According to Court, when the dough is not in use, the dough must be kept in the refrigerator because of the high butter content in the dough. These cookies taste best when consumed within a couple days of making them (if they even last that long).