Sunday, December 22, 2013

A ROYAL BAKER

 
Saturday was about baking. The Mistress was left to her own devices. Since I had sent everybody and the help away, I reserved the day to make a treat. My good friends and sister Mame, aka David Dust, and Kailyn will tell you, these treat are like crack!!!!! They both over dosed once!
 
 They are the Mistress 's Mother's famous Sand tarts!
 
 Sand tarts are a very thin sugar cookie that has been a tradition in our family since my great grandmother. When I was little, my mother and I spent the two weeks after Thanksgiving making JUST sand tarts. My mother still does. So far she has over 4,000 made to give away in addition to the other varieties she makes, and she even made some dough this year selling them. I usually make mine the week before Christmas for friends and work cronies at my abode. The recipe is very easy. It should be made the night before and kept in the refrig overnight. The recipe calls for:

Sand tarts
2 1/2 cups of sugar
2 cups of butter (1lb)
2 eggs
4 cups of flour


Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and mix. Add flour working it in well. Mix thoroughly with no lumps. Chill overnight. Have some lovely G&T'S in the meantime!!! There always time for a cock-a-tail!  When you go to bake the cookies pull the dough out and let soften before you start to cut the dough into balls. After the dough is softened, I cut the dough off in pieces and into medium size balls, which I love to handle. Who doesn't like to handle balls!

Place wax paper over the dough ball and roll till very thin. This is my mother's trick to getting them soooo thin. Pull off the top layer of wax paper and use for the bottom piece on the next roll-out. Select your cookie cutter of choice. This year I used snowmen, bells ,trees ,and  a star. Every couple of cuts with the cookie cutter I'll dip it in flour so the cutter won't pull the dough up.


Once the dough is rolled out very flat and the design has been pressed ,you remove the extra dough from around the design and place back in the dough bowl for the next batch to be made. This is the time consuming part. The last thing to do is sugar the cookies with a dusting of the colored sugar before sending off to the oven. If you don't care for the sugar you can take a pastry brush and dip in egg white and brush the cookie with it and then garnish with crushed nuts, or a almond.


Once they are in the oven for anywhere for 6-8 minutes the little gems can come out. After 6 minutes I check on them .Everyone's oven is different, so when they look a little golden I take them out. Sometimes I 'll keep them in a little longer for a darker color. The crispy dark ones some people like too, so I will do light and dark ones, just like my men! Once they come out of the oven, they will look like this.


Then it is off to the cooling table. on cooling racks .On the wax paper. You can slide the whole sheet of wax paper off the sheet to the table. Once cooled ,you can pop them off and cool them awhile longer.The finished product......


 This tray was going to be for later after dinner, when we come back for a nightcap. When I have a party here, or at work,  I sometime garnish the platter with mixed nuts or sometimes frame the platter with pine boughs. If you have the time, these cookies really are a hit. But I warn you they are very time consuming to make ,so I hope you have at least a day set aside. Whew! After all the baking was done, the Mistress was bushed! Buster was just waiting all night for a cookie to drop..... he watched like a hawk the whole time....
 

 But in the end it was all worth it. 
Can I help you to a old fashioned of egg nog anyone????
 
 
 I had myself a nice strong glass of egg nog, when done, and then took a nice couple hours nap before going out to dinner. Tootles!
 
 

40 comments:

  1. And such a handsome baker!!!!! My mother used to make sand tarts with one walnut placed carefully on top of a rolled-out star shape. Not my favorite cookie. So last Christmas, I thought I'd try to make them for her. What a disaster. I had no patients and scraped the whole thing!

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  2. Hello handsome! They look sinful, but probably worth it!!

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  3. Would you just look at that pup!!!!! My God, they do look so good, and time consuming, but so pretty to see and eat , I betting. I 'll send over my address......

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  4. That's one day I'm glad I'm not at the Casa. Except to sample them, and have some egg nog....and help with the balls.

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  5. Without a doubt, these will become a family tradition!!! Can I just marry you cutie?

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    1. Well, what are you bringing to the table?

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  6. I really hit the gym five days a week, but I could easily eat these !!! I love a nice buff boy who can bake! Isn't it what the holidays are for?

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  7. My daughter and I baked these together once and both went insane!!!!! Never again. I have never seen them here. But I understand they are really a Pennsylvania speciality. Your looks great. Very nice post. The wax paper hint might help me too-THANKS YOU.

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    1. Your right! They are very popular with the Lancaster horse and buggy crowd!

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  8. I only show up to eat them and drink the egg nog!

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  9. It amazes me something so simple and with only a few ingredients can taste that good, but it is WONDERFUL. I get them at the Reading Terminal Market, but there not anywhere as thin as yours. I give them as gifts and everyone said how good they were. I bet yours are better. And aren't you looking fine honey!!!!!! Your place is so festive.

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    1. your right about that. It rains glitter and party hats around here.

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  10. NICE, VERY NICE! I would love to try it. I mean them.

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    1. Its like trying one chip my friend.........

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  11. If I wasn't partnered and 30 years younger, I 'd take you in a heart beat! These cookies are to die for. I can make them , but there not as thin as yours- holly cow! I rolled them in confectionary sugar when they were warm, but found that the sugar melted into the cookie. Kiss Buster for Miss Fingers!

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  12. HMMMMMMMMM! Go on Paula Dean with your bad self. I fear I could eat dozens of these, in which case I'd have to get bigger Spanx. And if they get any bigger, well, never you mind.

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  13. wait, there was cookies? We were to distracted by that chest, and ,well, never mind, we have no manners and are pigs.

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    1. I have a copy of Amy Vanderbilt's book for you. Merry Christmas and be in good health !

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  14. oh my, that last pix...is that a banana or are you just glad to see us?

    I tend to like my sand tarts thick and light, like my men.

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    1. I'd like to find out though.......

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    2. wouldn't we ALL, honey! ;-)

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    3. How did we go from cookies to what's in my jeans? All three in the corner now, wait.........anne Marie might like that. Were you all taking to the lad?

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  15. Wow, I'd never have the patience for that, but they look good, I could try a couple. Meanwhile, were you storing the rolling pin in your jeans, or were you having a naughty dream?

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    1. Eyes up here Cali-Boi.........

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    2. how can I with an distraction like that?

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  16. Debuting their very first holiday season in our home two years ago, they've quickly reached "holiday tradition" status. I remember you posted them before, I have made them , though I couldn't get them thin enough. Mmm Mmm, Good! :) Looking good by the way ;)

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  17. This is the close to a reciepe my grandmother made and after she passed at 100 years old, I was to get her box of reciepe but when we went to get them from storage the mice had got to them . So I lost all the family favorites and am starting over. So this will help. Yours look so tasty

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  18. Since my mother has gotten older she no longer can make them, and I miss them. The beauty of this cookie is how thin and crisp it is, which makes it so addicting. I haven’t yet met a person who eats just one and can stop.

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  19. I don’t think that I’ve ever tried these! They look really good I have to say! :D And so unique too!

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  20. They look at of this world! Here's the deal, you cook and bake, are talented, decorate , clean home, good creative job, very interesting and look nice and fit. We have a friend who needs you, I'm convinced it will work!!!!!!!!!

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    1. You too kind. But can he lay there, tell a story while smoking a cigar and juggle balls all the same time?

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  21. I love seeing other people’s old family recipes – and these look completely delicious.! And Buster is just adorable!!!! Are all queens as interesting as you Mistress, I like what I see

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  22. well I don't bake and will probably never make these, but would love some egg nog. If you made it will knock my bloomers clear off!

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  23. I love regional & family recipes. There’s something so special about them! Thanks for sharing this cherished recipe. The cookies look amazing!

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  24. I say we just strip him naked, rolll him in honey and coat him in gold glitter and auction the Mistress off the next post!

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!