Sandbakelser (Raspberry Sand Tarts)

So I guess by now you bakers out there have figured out my favorite cookies are variations on shortbread. True. I like the contrast between the crumbly buttery cookie and sweet topping. With only a few ingredients, the dough comes together fast, leaving plenty of time to ice and decorate. Fun for kids! Plus I tried making "real" shortbread once and it was a flop, so these pseudo shortbread cookies make their way into my oven and waistline every Christmas.

This recipe is not from my childhood. It's from the before-kids-salad-days when girlfriends and sisters would come over, tie on an apron and we'd drink wine and bake. There were always the tried and true recipes and each year I'd try a few new ones. This was a winner about a decade ago and I've been making it every year since. Before the kids were born I'd make 8 or more recipes each year and give cookies to friends. Now family time has increased, baking time has decreased and the recipients of cookies are those people who help our family, instead of my friends. I don't get to see my friends much during the holidays with all the family activities going on, so I cherish this activity that makes me remember them.

For the record I did use organic sugar for all recipes. I also used 1/2-1 cup of white wheat flour in most recipes. I did not reduce sugar in the shortbread recipes since they are already lower in sugar. All batches came out fine with the substitutions.

Sandbakelser (Raspberry Sand Tarts-The Best of Sunset Cookies)
3/4 c almonds ground into a meal (finely ground)
1/2 c sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam (for filling.)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Stir in almond meal, then flour.

Tart Pans: fill tart pan with 1 1/2 tsp dough, then 1/4 tsp raspberry filling. Bake at 350 for 16-18 mins.
Cookie Sheets: Form dough balls with 1 1/2 tsp dough set 2 inches apart. Using the tip of finger press an indentation on top of dough ball and fill with 1/4 tsp raspberry jam. Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on pans before transferring to brown paper or cooling racks. Do not grease cookie sheet.

Cooks Note: I've never made these with the almond meal or using tart pans. Thus mine don't come out perfectly round and tart-like, they spread when baked on a cookie sheet.

I didn't even remember they had almonds in them! I make this cookie well before I started eating nuts. Now that I've re-read the recipe I will certainly make them with the almond meal next time. I think the almonds will add a good flavor and cut the sweetness a bit. Santa, if you're reading, I'd like some tart pans, whatever those are. Oh, and some silpat sheets too while you're at it.

Kid Appeal Tip So, there's note a lot healthy (excepting almonds I omitted....) in a cookie. But you can use cookies to get kids to eat healthy. Some nutritionist suggest down playing the "appeal" of sweets by serving them in small portions right along with dinner. I don't concur. I don't think serving dessert with a meal disguises their appeal. They are still sweeter than anything in the meal, and thus are going to appeal more to the tongue of anyone who appreciates sweetness. And because the young child's appetite is often quite small, matched by their small stomach even a small portion of sweets may satiate them to the point of nibbling and picking at the rest of their food. My approach is to teach that sweets are a sometimes food, and for the very young who are still developing eating skills and impulse control to be allowed to eat them ONLY after they've eaten some grow food. Once your kiddo is able to eat grow food even after dulling the appetite a little with sweets it's fine to serve dessert first or during the meal. Until then, when dessert is available, the consumption of it is permissible after food containing nutrients is consumed. Let kiddos know there is a sweet treat waiting for them once they finish their meal. Finish is defined by "eating enough to sustain" not emptying a plate.