Sunday, February 5, 2012

Sables ( French Butter Cookies )

I love butter!

Sables which are also known as French Butter Cookie is your no ordinary butter cookie. The egg-glazed top with a criss-cross score on each tops makes it elegant compared to any normal butter cookies. It's a French thing.

I tried out this recipe I found from Joy Of Baking and it's simple, buttery and it's my go-to butter cookies. It's stated that it matters what butter you used as it is a BUTTER cookie after all. So for this recipe I go for Lurpak, the best we have here in Singapore. Original vanilla extract needed but I replaced it with Vanilla beans instead.


Sables ( French Butter Cookies ) from joyofbaking
Makes 3 dozen

140 grams unsalted butter, room temperature ( the best butter you can find )
100 grams granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 lengthwise vanilla bean
260 grams All purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Egg Wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).  Add the egg and vanilla bean and beat until blended. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times to bring it together, and then divide the dough in half.  Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least an hour). 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface.  Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch (1 cm) thick.  Using a lightly floured 2 inch (5 cm) round fluted cookie cutter, cut out the cookies, placing them on the prepared sheet. 

Place the baking sheet of cut out cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 -20 minutes to chill the dough. 


Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg with the water for the egg wash. 


Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and brush the tops with the egg wash.  Then, with the tines of a fork (or I like to use the end of a toothpick), make a crisscross pattern on the top of each cookie. 


Bake cookies in the preheated oven for about 12 - 14 minutes (depending on size of cookie) or until golden brown around the edges. 


Cool cookies on wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

Hope y'all love it!







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