THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’

SAND TARTS. – Two cups of sugar, one cup of butter, three of flour, two eggs, leaving out the white of one; roll out thin and cut in square cakes; with a knife spread the white of one egg on top;  sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and press a blanched almond or raisin in the centre of each.

~Karn, W. A. The Art of Cooking Made Easy. Woodstock, 1903.

THE UPDATED RECIPE

• 1 c. butter
• dash of salt
• 2 c. granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg white
• 3 c. all purpose flour
• 1 egg white
• ⅓ c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. powdered cinnamon
• whole blanched almonds and/or raisins for garnish.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease baking sheets with butter.

Blend the ⅓ cup of sugar and the cinnamon together, and set aside to use for topping the cookies.

Cream the butter, salt and two cups of sugar together in a mixing bowl.

Add the egg yolks and one egg white, and beat the mixture until it is light and smooth.

Sift the flour, and add it to the mixture;  blend well, until the consistency is even and crumbly.

Work the dough into clumps, and knead it lightly, if necessary, until it holds together, in three or four portions.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin, until ¼-inch thick, and cut it into 2 or 2 ½-inch squares. Alternatively, use a heart shaped cookie cutter.

Place the cookies on buttered baking sheets, leaving a little space between for expansion.

Spread a thin coating of egg white over the tops, and then sprinkle each cookie with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  

Place an almond or a raisin in the centre of each cookie, and press it lightly into place.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 18 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and let the cookies cool slightly before removing them from the baking sheets.

When completely cooled, store in an air-tight container.

Yield: 3 ½ to 4 dozen cookies.

The aroma and flavour of these rich cookies will surely bring back memories of grandmothers’ kitchens.

“Sand Tarts” is probably a misinterpretation of “Sand Hearts”.  These are not tarts at all, but a type of rolled cookie.  They may be cut into shapes with a heart-shaped biscuit cutter, instead of using a knife to cut them into squares, if desired.

A note from Patricia: Let’s feel the love with these heart-shaped cookies! Yes, I opted to use heart cookie cutters for these (vs. cutting them into simple squares – booooring), and I’m glad I did. These little cuties were very easy to make, and my aunt was correct about the smell that wafted through my house while baking these – they were sweet and cinnamon-y and did indeed bring back cozy memories. I put the dough into the fridge for one hour before rolling these out – I’ve learned from experience now that this makes life much easier. I also made these gluten free by using 1:1 gluten-free baking flour, and it worked out well. The verdict? I simply loved them. Cinnamon baked into anything is glorious in the fall and winter, and these cookies really hit the spot with a hot cup of tea on a freezing cold, grey day here in Canada.

Sand Hearts. – Two pounds of flour, two pounds of sugar, one pound of butter, three eggs.  Make into a dough, and work till the ingredients are well incorporated.  After rolling out and cutting into heart-shapes, place the cakes on a pan and beat up one egg, spread some of it over them with a feather, and then sprinkle with granulated sugar.  If a little coarse-grained all the better, mixing with it a little finely-powdered cinnamon.

~Warren, Jane.  The Ladies’ Own Home Cook Book. New York: Hurst & Company, 1891.

Sand Tarts. 

Two cups of sugar, one of butter, two eggs, three cups of flour; roll very thin, cut in squares with a knife, spread white of an egg on top, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, press a raisin in the centre and bake.

~Parker, Eliza R.  Economical Housekeeping.  Toronto: J.S. Robertson & Bros., 1886.