Sables ( french butter cookies)

Sables are classic french cookies also know as Breton biscuits.
Sables in french means 'sand'.
It refers to the sandy texture of this delicate and crumbly shortbread cookie.
The traditional shape is round fluted edges and  the criss- cross patterns on top of each cookie.

Ingredients:
Butter- 140 gms or 10 tbsp,
Powdered white sugar-1/2 cup or 100gms,
Egg- 1,
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp,
All purpose flour-2 cups or 260 gms,
Baking pwd- 1/2 tsp,
Egg wash - 1 egg + 1 tbsp of water.

Method:
In a bowl of your mixer beat butter ( 1 minute).

Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy( 2 to 3 minutes)

 

Add the egg and vanilla essence.

Beat until blended.
In a separate bowl,sieve  together flour  and baking powder.

With a wire whisk mix them together.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just incorporated.( do not over mix)

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough a few times to bring the dough together.

Divide the dough in half.

Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm ( 1/2 hour ).

Pre heat oven to 350 F or 177 C
Place rack in center of the oven.
Line two baking sheets with butter paper.
Remove one half of dough from the fridge.

Put the dough on the counter and cover with a cling film ( since the temperature is warm ,so i had to use the cling film on top of the dough to roll it)
With a rolling pin roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.

With a fluted cookie cutter ( 2 to 1,1/2 inch size cookie cutter- whatever is available- I have used, 1 and 1/2 inch cookie cutter, so the size of the cookies are small )cut out the cookies.

Place them on the butter paper lined baking sheet.
Gather the scraps and roll again and cut with the cookie cutter.

Place the baking sheet with the cut out cookies in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to chill.
In a small bowl beat the egg and add 1 tbsp of water for the egg wash.
Remove the cookies from the fridge and brush each cookie with the egg wash.
With a fork make criss- cross pattern on top of each cookie or you can use a toothpick to make the pattern.

Bake cookies in pre heated oven for  12 to 15 minutes( depends on the size of the cookie).
The cookies should be golden brown around the edges.

Cool cookies on wire rack.

Store in air tight container for 1 week.

Make 54 small cookies.
Very crispy and tasty cookies.Very much similiar in taste to shortbread cookies.
The use of butter is more in shortbread cookies then in sables, so the shortbread cookies are very rich in that way.But taste wise both the cookies are a treat.