These delicious and traditional Christmas pecan sand tart cookies are just the thing you need for cozy winter nights.
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Christmas Cookies
Cookies, of any kind, are just the perfect holiday tradition from my point of view. Fond memories of having the possibility to bake cookies from favorite recipes are any kid's favorite part of Christmas preparations.
Whether you have a favorite Christmas cookie recipe or just take any recipe to make tasty cookies, the holiday season is a really great way to make a new family tradition if you haven't got one already.
Sand Tarts Recipe
Sand Tart Cookies are a traditional Christmas cookies recipe that is most famous in the United States. And one of my favorite cookie recipes. The great thing about sand tarts is that there are a lot of different recipes that can be used for sand tarts.
They can also be in different shapes and differently decorated. The main thing for these crispy butter cookies is that you make them to your liking and taste and that the whole family enjoys them.
Sand Tarts Recipe Ingredients
To make these delicious warm cookies, you will need the following ingredients:
- egg: whenever you can, choose free range eggs or organic ones.
- butter: butter really is a must for these cookies, and you cannot actually replace it with any other ingredient. I mean you can, but you won't get that cookie dough and sugar cookies that you want from this recipe.
- coconut sugar: the original sand tarts recipe calls for regular white sugar, but I've decided to replace it with coconut sugar. It a little less sweet and a bit healthier. You can also replace it with any other solid sweetener.
- plain flour: for these cookies ideally, you would use plain flour. But any flour mixture, or purpose flour should be fine as well.
- ground pecans: sand tart cookies are actually pecan cookies, so it doesn't make sense to omit them from the recipe. However, if for any reason you cannot use them, I suggest you replace them with another type of nuts.
- powdered sugar: this is the final touch to these delicious cookies - rolling them in some soft and fluffy powdered sugar while they are still warm.
How To Make Tart Cookie Recipes - Step by step
Follow these simple steps to make the most delicious sand tart recipe.
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. But make sure not to overmix it.
3. Add the sugar and continue mixing on medium speed until you have a creamy texture.
4. Now add the whole egg and incorporate into the sugar/butter mixture.
5. Add the flour and ground pecans and vanilla extract
6. Continue mixing until you have a firm cookie dough.
7. Shape dough into a disc and place it in a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour but best overnight.
8. Gently flour your countertop, take the flour out of the fridge and place on the countertop. Put some flour on top of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin until you have 1 cm thick dough. An alternative is to roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
9. Now place the dough back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes.
10. In the meantime, line a baking tray with parchment paper.
11. Take out the dough from the fridge/freezer and using cookie cutters cut out sand tarts cookies.
12. Place the cookies on the baking tray.
13. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.
14. Once finished, take out of the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes in the baking tray and sprinkle with powdered sugar while they are warm and place on a wire rack to fully cool.
15. Serve as dessert, with coffee/tea or on a holiday cookie platter.
How To Store Sand Tarts Cookies
Leftover sand tart cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
If you are looking for longer storage, you can put them in the fridge for about 5 - 7 days.
Alternatively, you can freeze them in silicone bags for up to 3 months.
Top tip
If your dough is very sticky and you are not able to roll it out in one go, you can divide it into smaller pieces and as soon as you see it warming up and sticking to the rolling pin place shortly in the freezer for a few minutes. When you take it out gently flour the dough from all sides before rolling out between two pieces of parchment paper.
FAQ
Of course. I prefer to make them round or Christmas shaped because I feel they look the nicest this way but if you want you can always make them any other shape. Especially if it is a festive one.
These cookies have a lot of butter so sometimes they will not seem baked through the oven glass. My recommendation would be to take them out as soon as you see them turning golden brown around the edges.
Yes. Just like with shaping them, you can make them thicker if you want. Just make sure to slightly increase the baking time if they are thicker than this recipe calls for.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Homemade Vegan Gluten-Free Healthy Twix Cups
- Lemon and Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots
- 3-Ingredient Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- Salted Garlic Crunchy Roasted Peas
If you've tried this or any other recipe from the blog, please rate it and add a comment below.
Best Buttery Holiday Sand Tart Cookies
EQUIPMENT
- 1 Electric Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 cup butter 1 butter / 250 g
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 cups plain flour
- ½ cup pecans ground
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350℉.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. But make sure not to overmix it.
- Add the sugar and continue mixing on medium speed until you have a creamy texture.
- Now add the whole egg and incorporate into the sugar/butter mixture.
- Add the flour and ground pecans and vanilla extract.
- Continue mixing until you have a firm cookie dough.
- Shape dough into a disc and place it in a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour but best overnight.
- Gently flour your countertop, take the flour out of the fridge and place on the countertop. Put some flour on top of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin until you have 1 cm thick dough. An alternative is to roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Now place the dough back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Take out the dough from the fridge/freezer and using cookie cutters cut out sand tarts cookies.
- Place the cookies on the baking tray.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.
- Once finished, take out of the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes in the baking tray and sprinkle with powdered sugar while they are warm and place on a wire rack to fully cool.
- Serve as dessert, with coffee/tea or on a holiday cookie platter.
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