You will find at least 4 recipes for biscuit, cake or tart whose name includes 'sand': 1) Sandbakelse, Sandbakkels, Sandkaker: cream-filled tartlets from Norway, Denmark & Sweden. 2) Sandkuchen: a type of sponge cake from Germany. 3) Zandtaartjes: fruit-laden tartlets from Holland. 4) Sand tarts: almond-topped cookies from Pennsylvania, USA.
The earliest version of Pennsylvania sand tarts appeared in Mrs Rorer's Philadelphia Cookbook (1886). It was a round-shaped cookie made with flour, butter, eggs, and granulated sugar - without glazing or topping. Its origin, however, was not clear. A lot of recipes that flourished in the States were brought into the New World by the immigrants. Was there a link between American & European sand tarts?
Here are some facts:
The earliest version of Pennsylvania sand tarts appeared in Mrs Rorer's Philadelphia Cookbook (1886). It was a round-shaped cookie made with flour, butter, eggs, and granulated sugar - without glazing or topping. Its origin, however, was not clear. A lot of recipes that flourished in the States were brought into the New World by the immigrants. Was there a link between American & European sand tarts?
Here are some facts:
- Initially disputed among English, Dutch, and even Swedish colonists, the land was granted by the English king Charles II to William Penn in 1681. Pennsylvania was subsequently inhabited by mostly German-speaking people.
- Mrs Rorer gives no background information on any of her recipes except that all of them are Philadelphia specialties.
- A recipe for 'Sandbakelse' was published in a Norwegian cookbook as early as 1845. It was brought into America towards the end of the century but it was different from the sugar cookie that is known as Pennsylvania sand tart.
- Sand tarts are widely popular among the citizens of Pennsylvania whose ancestry is Dutch. Zandtaartjes, however, are different from both Norwegian & American sand tarts.
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| Penn's Treaty with the Indians |
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| Draft of the Frame of Government of Pennsylvania |
Maybe Pensylvannia sand tarts have got nothing to do with European recipes. But if so, where did they get their name from? Again, there is no consensus among food historians.
Many believe that 'sand' implies the gritty surface achieved by rolling the cookies in granulated sugar (& cinnamon) prior to baking. However, this is not the way American sand tarts were made at the beginning, as is clear from Mrs Rorer's notes: "1 pound of granulated sugar, 1 pound of butter, yolks of three eggs, whites of two eggs, flour enough to make a stiff paste - Beat the butter and sugar together; add the yolks beaten to a cream, then the whites well beaten; mix all well together, and add the flour. Roll out on a baking-board, cut with a round cutter, and bake in a moderate oven until a light brown." Others believe - and rightly so, in my opinion- that 'sand' implies the brittle texture resulting from the combination of granulated sugar in the cookie batter with meringue.
SAND TARTS
This version is slightly adapted from Mrs Rorer's Philadelphia Cookbook, using a tiny amount of baking powder. Pennsylvania sand tarts are generally baked for
Christmas but you will find them a perfect accompaniment to milk,
coffee & tea all year round.
I n g r e d i e n t s
500g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
200g granulated sugar
100g butter, melted & cooled
2 eggs, separated
1 yolk
M e t h o d
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour with the baking powder, if using. 2. Beat the sugar, butter & yolks into a cream. Beat the egg whites stiff. Combine the mixtures, gradually adding the flour. 3. Roll out the dough very thin, about 0.5cm. Use a round cutter to make discs. 4. Transfer carefully onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake separately for about 10 minutes. 5. Let cool on a wire rack and store in a biscuit jar.
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