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 tasteDirections
In a large bowl, cream the butter, confectioners' sugar, and white sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat the almond extract into the butter mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Gradually add the flour and salt mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half.
Shape each half of the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic.
Refrigerate the dough halves until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place each of the dough halves on a piece of waxed paper, then cover on top with another piece of waxed paper.
Roll each of the dough halves between the waxed paper to 1/8-inch thickness.
Transfer the two pieces of dough out of the waxed paper.
Cut both pieces of dough with a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter dipped in flour.
Using a floured spatula, place the cut cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Brush the unbaked cookies with the beaten eggs.
Decorate the unbaked cookies with almonds to resemble sand dollars.
Sprinkle the unbaked cookies with cinnamon sugar.
Bake until the edges of the cookies begin to brown, about 12-16 minutes.
Cool the cookies for 2 minutes before transferring them to wire racks.
Serve at room temperature.
