Sablé Cookies (French Butter Cookies)
A magnificent recipe for a holiday or party cookie. These buttery, crumbly cookies are a delightful treat. They look stunning and as though they were picked up from an elegant bakery - but here's the catch: they're so easy to make at home! Bon Appetit!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 125 g butter (slightly softened), cubed
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup apricot jam or strawberry jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, almond flour, and baking powder and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or hand mixer) fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until creamy.
- Add the egg, pure vanilla extract, and pinch of salt and continue mixing.
- Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix on low until the dough comes together.
- Transfer the dough onto your lightly floured work surface, knead and shape into a square for refrigeration. The dough should be soft however if the dough is sticky add a little extra flour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Transfer dough onto a wax paper or non-stick baking mat and top with another sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap so that the dough is fully covered. Roll out dough to approximately 1/8 inch thickness. Using a two inch round cutter, cut the dough to form the bottom halves of the cookies and carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Gently roll together the scraps of remaining dough and repeat the previous step. Using a smaller cutter (3/4 inch) with the shape of your choice cut out the center of the cookies for the top part.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until set and lightly golden around the edges. Remove and let them cool.
Assembling the Sablés
- Place top cookies with the cut center on a tray and using a small sieve, lightly dust them with the powdered sugar.
- Turn the base part so the flat side is upward and place 1/2 teaspoon jam in the center, then carefully place the top part, press gently and let them set.
Notes
Make sure to work with the dough while chilled so the cookies will keep their shape and it will be easy to work with.
I used the special sables cutter and the fitted sables cutter top where you can choose different designs for the top part.
You can keep the sables cookies for up to two weeks in an air-tight container, just make sure to layer them with parchment paper.
To make chocolate sables, cut the dough in half and add two tablespoons of cacao powder, mix and follow same steps. The filling will be melted chocolate of your choice.