Sand Cookies (short butter cookies) made with browned butter to mimic the sandy shores of Lüneburger Heide—a Northern German heathland known for its sweeping landscapes and rustic baking traditions. These slice-and-bake cookies are simple, elegant, and beautifully crisp with a warm, nutty aroma from the browned butter.
Sand Cookies
These classic German Sand Cookies (Heidesand Kekse) are crisp, buttery slice-and-bake cookies made with browned butter for a toasty, “sandy” crumb.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2-3 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- In a saucepan, melt the butter and let it cook on medium heat until browned.
- Remove the butter from the heat and let it cool first at room temperature and then in the fridge until it is solid again.
- Put the cooled butter in a bowl and mix for about 30 seconds until it is creamy and fluffy.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder. Slowly add the sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, milk and flour while mixing. Mix well but not too long.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and continue kneading with your hands. Shape two long strings from the dough, each with a diameter of about 2 inches (5 cm). Let these strings rest in the refridgerator for at least 30 minutes until they have hardened.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough strings into slices about ¼-inch or 1 cm thick and place each slice on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size and thickness of your cookies.
- Remove the cookies from the oven when they are almost cooked in the middle, but not completely. Let the cookies cook a little on the baking sheet before you remove them.
- Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for about a week.
Notes
Helpful baking tips
- Watch the butter closely: browned butter can go from golden to burnt fast. Pull it when it smells nutty and looks amber.
- For cleaner slices: if the log softens, pop it back in the fridge 10 minutes before slicing.
- Don’t overbake: these should look lightly golden at the edges; they crisp more as they cool.
