Summery Delights

Cookies and ice cream—can summertime desserts be any better? This week American Profile offers two delightful desserts sure to please your family.

Jan Edwards, of Albuquerque, N.M., sent us her recipe for Sand Tarts, an old-fashioned cookie that's great for packing in picnic lunches or serving with a bowl of your favorite ice cream. This recipe was passed down from Edwards' mother, who "prepared it before I was born in 1931 and for many years after. She always made these cookies for her Pioneer Study Club teas. They melt in your mouth."

The creamy ice-cream-based Butterfinger Dessert is perfect for hot summer evenings, especially since you don't have to turn on your oven to make it. Sent to us by Joan Reed of Canton, Ill., the recipe can be made with any crisp, crunchy candy bar. "I got this recipe from a friend on a Thanksgiving Day when we were invited for dinner. Since then I have made it for the holidays and for friends," Reed says.

As always, American Profile looks forward to receiving—and publishing—your favorite recipes each week and sharing them with our millions of readers across the nation.

Sand Tarts - Jan Edwards, Albuquerque, N.M.

• 1 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
• Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar well. Add vanilla. Stir in flour and then nuts. This stiff dough can be mixed with your hands or a heavy-duty mixer. When blended, form dough into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass and press tines of a fork around edges. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden. When tarts are cool enough to handle, sprinkle generously with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 2 dozen cookies.

Tips From Our Test Kitchen: These sandy-textured cookies freeze well. For a festive touch, tint the dough with a bit of food coloring.

Butterfinger Dessert - Joan Reed, Canton, Ill.

• 2 cups milk
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 2 (3.5-ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups crushed Graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
• 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
• 4 (2-ounce) Butterfinger bars, crushed

Combine milk, ice cream and dry pudding mix in a large bowl and beat until well mixed. Place in refrigerator. Melt butter in saucepan; pour over cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Stir well. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch pan, patting into an even layer on bottom and reserving 1/3 of mixture for topping. Pour ice cream mixture over crust. Freeze 1 hour. Spread whipped topping over filling. Mix crushed Butterfingers with reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle over top and return to freezer to set. Garnish with chocolate sauce if desired. Serves 10 to 12.

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