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These sandtarts were made by my boyfriend’s great-grandmother when growing up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the recipe is thought to originate from a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, although we haven’t been able to find any images of this exact cookie today. It has been described as a "crisp butter cookie that you want to eat like a potato chip." The secret to its longevity in the Billings family is found in its perfect thin two-bite size, with a simple walnut crunch and a burst of cinnamon.
View original recipe on cookpad.comBeat butter. Then beat in sugar for 5 minutes.
Incorporate eggs, then fold in flour at low speed. Remove from electric mixer, make sure everything is well mixed, cover and refrigerate overnight.
On parchment roll dough VERY THIN, almost translucent. Use lots of flour to prevent it from sticking. Cut with cookie cutter, place on greased cookie sheets in the refrigerator. The dough, because of the butter, can get very soft. Dough that is left over from cutting cookies should be put in refrigerator (or freezer preferably) and added to new dough when firmer. When all dough has been cut into discs, preheat oven to 350F.
With a pastry brush coat cookies with beaten whole egg. Add a few chopped walnuts and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake for 8 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown. Remove from cookie sheet fairly quickly after taking out of oven.
Tip: Because dough is so soft and thin, it is best to stay with simple cutter designs, usually a 2 1/2- to 3-inch circle.
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