Sand dollar cookies

I can't wait to head to the beach. I will admit I do not go into the Maine water. Would you? It is just too cold for me. However, my children have no problem. I would rather look for sand dollars. If I find one, I may not be quick enough in grabbing it then I will be hit by a wave but normally I get lucky. I am like the little kids who run away when the wave comes near them.

 Last year, we were at the beach and a sea gull actually swooped down close. It was able to take my oldest daughter's sandwich right from her hand. She screamed so loud. I thought it was so funny. It didn't happen again since she was prepared. The rest of the visit she would just keep watching them. She would just keep scanning the sky. She wasn't going to fall for that again. It didn't help that my son was afraid of birds at the time.

These cookies taste very similar to a snickerdoodle cookie. 

Sand Tarts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (1 egg needs to be separated)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp water
2 tsp ground cinnamon
sliced almonds, for decoration

Directions:

1. In a mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy.
2. Add 1 cup sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Add into the butter mixture 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, vanilla, and the lemon zest.
4. Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture.
5. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
6. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap well in plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.
8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
9. In a small, whisk together the egg white and the water.
10. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and 3/4 cup sugar.
11. Roll out the dough on a clean, floured surface.
12. With a round biscuit cutter, (glass or other round object) cut round circles in the dough.
13. Place the circles of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. 
14. Brush the dough with the egg white water.
15. Decorate each piece of dough with 3 almonds to look like sand dollars.
16. Sprinkle each pieces of dough with the cinnamon sugar.
17. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate about 5 minutes of baking.
18. Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies.

Did you already know...
 -Sand dollars tend to live for 6 to 10 years.
-Sand dollars can move along the sand or burrow in the sand underwater.
-Live sand dollars can be found below the low tide depths of the ocean.