There’s something enchanting about walking along the beach and finding a sand dollar buried on the shore. It’s the same enchantment you’ll be under when you take a bite of homemade Sand Dollar Cookies! Decorated with crunchy almonds and cinnamon sugar to look like the seaside prize, Sand Dollar Cookies are crumbly, sweet, and enticingly buttery, with an almond accent for extra enjoyment. Even if you live thousands of miles from the sea, these cookies will remind you of the joy of soaking up the sun while waves lap gently in the distance.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- slivered almonds, to taste
- cinnamon sugar, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –In a large bowl, cream the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and white sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 2 –Beat the almond extract into the butter mixture.
Step 3 –In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Step 4 –Gradually add the flour and salt mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half.
Step 5 –Shape each half of the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic.
Step 6 –Refrigerate the dough halves until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
Step 7 –Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Step 8 –Place each of the dough halves on a piece of waxed paper, then cover on top with another piece of waxed paper.
Step 9 –Roll each of the dough halves between the waxed paper to 1/8-inch thickness.
Step 10 –Transfer the two pieces of dough out of the waxed paper.
Step 11 –Cut both pieces of dough with a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter dipped in flour.
Step 12 –Using a floured spatula, place the cut cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Step 13 –Brush the unbaked cookies with the beaten eggs.
Step 14 –Decorate the unbaked cookies with almonds to resemble sand dollars.
Step 15 –Sprinkle the unbaked cookies with cinnamon sugar.
Step 16 –Bake until the edges of the cookies begin to brown, about 12-16 minutes.
Step 17 –Cool the cookies for 2 minutes before transferring them to wire racks.
Step 18 –Serve at room temperature.