Sand dollar sugar cookies make a splash for Shark Week

Shark Week returns to the Discovery Channel this Sunday. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the annual Shark Week event, so expect new television shows centered on the sea’s most fascinating predators.

Over the past three decades, the mid-summer shark series has gained quite the following — it’s practically a national holiday at this point. The shadowy show airs just as many Americans are heading to the beach, increasing the nervous anticipation of a run-in with the ocean’s apex predator.

But fear not! As the series frequently demonstrates, sharks want nothing to do with you, mere human. So instead, celebrate!

Dare to sink your teeth into these delicious sand dollar sugar cookies. They’ll make a big splash at the office or at your own home-viewing party. They stack well too, so take them to the beach or give them as a pretty summer-inspired gift.

Sand Dollar Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Almond slices
• Gold sprinkles for decoration
• 3/4 cup cinnamon sugar mixture (for dusting cookies and for display)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, preferably in a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth — about 1 minute.
2. Add the sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy — about 3 or 4 minutes, scraping the sides with a spatula as needed.
3. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well blended — about 2 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together.
5. With beater on low, slowly add flour mixture to wet mixture. Mix until just blended. If the dough seems too soft, add flour one tablespoon at a time until consistency is better suited for rolling.
6. Roll out dough to a 1/4″ thickness (doing this is halves sometimes helps in a smaller kitchen). Refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.
7. Once chilled, line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
8. Remove dough sheets from the fridge and use a 2-inch circle cookie cutter to stamp out shapes. (I used the lid to a mason jar, since I didn’t have a round cookie cutter).
9. Re-roll out the scraps of dough and stamp circles again. Transfer to baking sheet. Repeat until all dough is used up.
10. Place 5 almond slices in a star pattern to resemble a sand dollar. Using a straw or the edge of a fork or chopstick, add indentations. Sprinkle with gold sprinkles and cinnamon sugar mixture.
11. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes.
12. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
13. Serve on a platter with “sand” — extra cinnamon sugar mix underneath cookies.

*Tip: Pair up the groups of 5 almond slices in similar sizes.

ALSO TRY: Patriotic thumbprint cookies.

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