Cookie Monster

I enjoy baking and do so at least once a week. If I’m not whipping out a dessert I find myself surrendering to my fat tooth and baking Sablés or French Butter Cookies. Slightly sandy in texture, as it’s name implies ( sables means sandy) these cookies have a rich buttery flavor with a hint of citrus, which make them my personal favorite. They are reasonably easy to prepare and the dough keeps well in the fridge or frozen to be used as needed. Since they are neutral in flavor, one can play with different options like keeping them skinny and sandwiching them with a raspberry jam or throwing in a fistful of crushed pecans or mini chocolate chips or simply using a colored sugar for sprinkling to make them more festive.

Recipe for Sablés:
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
½ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
2 cups AP flour
egg wash ( egg white and a little water combined for brushing on)
coarse or raw sugar for sprinkling
1. Beat the butter till smooth with an electric mixer. Add in the sugar, salt and zest. Continue beating till the mixture is combined. Then add in the egg yolks and continue beating.
2. On low speed, add in the flour a little at a time till it is incorporated . Scrape the mixture out. Divide into 2 parts and roll into logs wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.
3. Refrigerate overnight or until the dough is firm. If it is to be frozen, place tightly wrapped dough into Ziploc bags. ( thaw in refrigerator overnight before use)
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with the sugar. Slice into 1/2 inch widths and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden at the edges of the cookies. Cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet.