Petit beurre

I can provide you with the recipe for Petit Beurre, the classic French rectangular-shaped, butter-flavored cookies. They are perfect for dipping in tea or coffee, and although the recipe is of French origin, I will suggest an Italian twist at the end.

Ingredients

• 250 g of all-purpose flour
• 125 g of powdered sugar
• 125 g of butter at room temperature
• 50 ml of milk
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or the seeds of a vanilla pod)

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder and salt.
2. In a second bowl, cream the butter with the powdered sugar until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well.
4. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk until a uniform dough is formed.
5. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 180° C.
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5 mm thickness.
8. Use a rectangular cookie cutter to give the biscuits their classic shape. If you wish, you can etch lines and little dots on the surface to mimic the typical appearance of Petit Beurre.
9. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, allowing some space between each one.
10. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they are slightly golden at the edges.
11. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

For an Italian touch, you can add grated lemon or orange zest to your dough, or replace some of the flour with almond flour, to give the cookies a richer flavor.

Curiosity

Petit Beurre are traditional cookies in France, often associated with childhood. Born in the city of Nantes in 1886, they were produced by the famous company LU (Lefèvre-Utile). Their design with 52 teeth around the edges and the four corners represents the 52 weeks of the year and the four seasons, making these cookies a true icon of the passing time.