Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts, an Amish Christmas Cookie

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand tarts are a cookie I grew up consuming and taking as a right. I believed everybody’s household made them and little did I do know that it was a really regional cookie, launched by the Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish and Mennonites.

The great thing about this cookie is how skinny and crisp it’s, which makes it so addicting. I haven’t but met an individual who eats only one and may cease.

My Aunt Rita was the one one within the household who made made them and I nonetheless have her handwritten recipe. I mixed it with a recipe I discovered in an Amish cookbook, Cooking from Quilt Nation by Marcia Adams.

It’s the one recipe I’ve seen that separates the eggs and  beats the egg whites stiff. You have to use actual butter, no substitutes, which is humorous as a result of my Aunt Rita hated butter, and the one time of yr you could possibly discover butter at her home was when she was making sand tarts.

The sentimentality goes deep for me. Her son, Sam, my closest cousin was like an enormous brother to me. He handed away at 42 and left me all the pieces together with this ebook. I can truly bear in mind the day he purchased the ebook and confirmed it to me. He was very influential in how I view meals.

It was years earlier than I delved into the ebook, nevertheless it’s fairly marvelous, highlighting all of the regional dishes I grew up consuming, and the kind of cooking that has loved a renaissance. I can’t bake these cookies with out fascinated by each of them, and I’ll move this all the way down to the youngsters in my life, which is why I made a video.

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts Should be Rolled Very Skinny

A quite simple cookie, however one not really easy to get precisely proper, as they should be rolled fairly skinny. The cookies are difficult solely in getting them skinny sufficient; in any other case it’s a straightforward cookie dough to make, however they should be made the evening earlier than and refrigerated.

It’s very difficult to ship cookies out of city and maintain them from going stale. I used cylinder tins and made a cookie that the recipe says will maintain indefinitely.

You want loads of totally different cookie cutters.

I made these for Thanksgiving, and used a maple leaf cookie cutter and positioned a pecan within the middle. For Christmas, you would possibly see them similar to this, otherwise you would possibly see them with coloured sugar.

I Grew up Consuming Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts Each Christmas

Once I point out sand tarts to individuals who know and perceive the regional part, they get excited and plead with me to make them a batch. I hope you and your loved ones will take pleasure in this very long time Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas custom.

You’ll have to conceal the cookies although, as a result of they’re so skinny and crisp, it’s simple to eat a dozen at a time. This was the primary time I’ve made Pennsylvania Dutch sand tarts and now I’ll be making them yearly.

Inform me about your meals traditions on the Holidays. Do you’ve gotten a recipe that’s been handed down and have you ever ever heard of Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts? I put loads of baking and cooking posts on Instagram and Pinterest.