Sablé Cookies

Sablé cookies are crumbly and buttery French pastries, similar to what we could call shortbread cookies in Italy. Here they are with an Italian twist:

Ingredients

• 150 g of butter at room temperature
• 100 g of icing sugar
• 1 egg (room temperature)
• 250 g of 00 flour
• A pinch of salt
• Vanilla (extract or seeds from a pod)

Preparation

1. In a bowl, cream together the soft butter and icing sugar until you have a smooth mixture.
2. Add the egg and continue mixing until it is well incorporated.
3. Add the salt and vanilla to the mixture.
4. Gradually add the sifted flour, mixing until you have a homogeneous dough.
5. Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in cling film. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
7. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 5 mm.
8. Use cookie cutters to cut the sablé cookies into your preferred shapes.
9. Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between each one, and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until they become slightly golden at the edges.
10. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before serving.

To add an additional Italian touch, you could sprinkle some biscuits with a little icing sugar mixed with very finely grated lemon zest, which will give a fresh aroma to the irresistible sablés.

Curiosity

The name “sablé” means “sandy” in French, and it’s due to their crumbly texture that resembles sand. These cookies originate from Sarthe, a region in the Pays de la Loire zone in France. They have become very popular throughout the country and are often served during the holidays or to accompany tea.