Kids in the Kitchen- Christmas Sand Tarts

Everyone wants a reliable recipe for Christmas cookies that are easy to share and most importantly DELICIOUS!  These "Sand Tarts" are fun to make with the whole family or by yourself while jamming to the all-Christmas radio station.  Get the kids involved with counting the ingredients as you add them! They will also enjoy "painting" on the egg and sprinkling on the decorations. These cookies are light and crispy and go great with coffee.  Although, Santa prefers them with milk. ;)

Sand Tarts

Recipe from Susan Leese

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter

2 cups Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

4 tsp. Baking Powder

Instructions: (Check out the notes below for helpful hints!)

1. Cream butter and sugar.  
2. Add eggs and vanilla.  
3. Add flour and baking powder. 
4. Mix well.  
5. Chill at least one hour.  

6. Roll out on floured board and cut with cookie cutters.

7. Brush with separate well-beaten egg.

  

8. Decorate with sprinkles, jimmies, nonpareils, or colored sugar.

 

 9. Bake at 340 for 10-12 minutes.

Notes:

Be sure butter is softened before combining with sugar. For best results, chill dough overnight.  For rolling: use lots of flour!  If you have parchment paper, roll out cookies on parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to the board.  I used metal cookie cutters.  I'm sure plastic ones are fine too, I just might flour them before-hand to prevent sticking.  This dough works best when it is cold.  I rolled out just enough for one pan at a time and refrigerated the rest while working.  Roll out dough about as thin as you can get it before it pulls apart.