French Sablé Cookies
These French sablé cookies, made with butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt, is from Dorie Greenspan and is like shortbread. A perfect Christmas cookie.
Equipment
- 2-inch baking rings (may substitute 2-inch round cookie cutters and muffin tins)
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
- Sanding sugar, for decorating
Instructions
- With a mixer on low speed, beat the butter, sugars, and salt together for 5 minutes, until smooth. Beat in the yolks, then the vanilla. Scrape the bowl and add the flour all at once. Mix only until the flour is incorporated.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks on a lightly floured surface, and place each between sheets of parchment or wax paper. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick. [Editor's Note: Just like in the story of Goldilocks, you want the dough to be not too thin and not too thick but just right at 1/4 inch thick. Trust us.] Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or freeze for at least 1 hour.
- Center the oven rack and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- If using 2-inch baking rings, cut out the first batch of cookies and, using an offset spatula, gently transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If using 2-inch cookie cutters, cut out the first batch of cookies and, using an offset spatula, gently transfer the cookies to muffin tins to help the cookies retain their perfect shape during baking.
- Sprinkle the cookies with sanding sugar and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown on their bottoms and around their edges. Cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet or in the muffin tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Continue cutting and baking, always using a cool baking sheet as you gather the scraps of dough, roll, chill, cut, and bake. We think you can take it from here. Find information on storing cookies here.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sable | Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g