Sandbakkels (Norwegian Sugar Cookies)
Sandbakkels are Norwegian sugar cookies pressed into fluted tins and baked into crisp, buttery little tart shells. Serve them plain with coffee or fill them with whipped cream and berries.
Servings: 36 servings, makes about 36 cookies
Equipment
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp butter melted, optional, for brushing new tins
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. If your tins are new or the cookies have stuck before, brush them lightly with melted butter, then set the tins on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Mix in the egg and almond extract, then add the flour and salt and mix on low just until a soft dough comes together. If it's too sticky to roll, chill it for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Roll the dough into balls sized to your tins (see notes), and set one in the center of each tin.
- Press the dough into the bottom of each tin with your thumb, then work it up the sides in a thin, even layer that stays below the rim.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
- Cool the cookies in the tins for a minute or two, then flip each tin over and tap it gently on the counter to release the cookie. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling or storing.
Notes
Tin size: This recipe makes about 30 to 36 cookies in 3-inch tins. Smaller 2 1/2-inch tins take about 1 tablespoon of dough each, for closer to 50 cookies, and 4-inch tins take 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons each, for around 20. Check small tins at 10 minutes.
Baking in rounds: With one set of tins, bake in rounds and press the next batch while the first one bakes. The cook time assumes about three rounds.
Flavor: Swap the almond extract for vanilla, or add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom.
Make ahead: The dough should keep 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Let it come back to room temperature so it's pliable before shaping. Baked, unfilled cookies keep in an airtight tin.
Filling: Fill them with whipped cream and berries, jam, or vanilla custard just before serving so they stay crisp.
Rusty tins: Scrub light surface rust off with steel wool and warm water, dry the tin completely, and wipe on a thin coat of oil. If the rust won't come off, bake in new tins.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg