Sablés (French Butter Cookies)

Sablés are classic French butter cookies with a light and delicate, almost sandy texture - sablé is the French word for sand.  Sablés have their origins in Normandy, which is of course why I was interested in making them. I recently traced my French ancestry to Upper Normandy and have become obsessed with learning everything there is to know about Norman cuisine ever since. I found this recipe on a number of food blogs but its origins appear to be with the good people at America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated, so credit goes to them, I think. Dorie Greenspan and Pierre Hermé also appear to have sablé recipes popular among food bloggers - I hope to give them a try in the future. The classic recipe is made simply with just vanilla but I was interested in something a little more interesting. Almond, citrus, and chocolate varieties are also popular - I decided to make almond and lemon sablés. I present the classic recipe first and then follow with additional ingredients and directions for making the variations.

Makes 48 cookies

Ingredients:
1 large egg plus 1 egg white
10 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Place egg in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring water to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Transfer egg to an ice bath and let sit for 5 more minutes. Peel egg, discard white, use thumb to push cooked egg yolk through a mesh strainer. (This step is really what distinguishes this cookie from an American butter cookie where the egg yolk is added to the recipe raw. Taking the time to cook the yolk first is part of what gives sablés their sandy texture.)

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, salt and cooked egg yolk on medium speed until light and fluffy (~4 minutes). On low speed add the vanilla extract and then the flour. Continue beating on low until mixture comes together and pulls away from the bowl. Transfer dough to a clean surface and roll into a 12-inch log. Wrap the log in parchment or wax paper and chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Use a sharp knife to slice 1/4-inch rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, 1-inch apart. Whisk together egg white and about a teaspoon of water, brush on sablés and bake for 15 minutes. Centers should be pale and edges starting to brown. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Store lined with parchment paper in an airtight container for up to one week.

Variations:

Chocolate sablés (sablés au chocolat)

Add ¼ cup Dutch processing cocoa to flour.

Lemon (or Orange) sablés (sablés au citron)

Add 1 tablespoon lemon/orange zest to butter-sugar mixture. Brush egg-white wash on log and roll in sugar before slicing rounds.

Almond sablés (sablés aux amandes)

Add 1/3 cup almond slices (toasted and finely ground) to flour and substitute 1½ teaspoons almond extract for 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Use extra almond slices to create petals on each sablé or finely chop and sprinkle on each sablé.

These cookies are best enjoyed with your favorite coffee or tea, or serve with fresh fruit for a light dessert.

Bon appetit!