Buttery Sable Cookies (Sablés)
Sable cookies (sablés) are delicious French butter cookies with a delicate and crumbly texture. You need a good quality butter to make these, with at least 82% butterfat. Any less than that and the butter will contain too much water and the cookies won’t be as tender.
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 90 g powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 226 g unsalted butter cold
- 2 egg yolks
- Turbinado sugar or sanding sugar for coating
Instructions
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold cubed butter to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse the mixture until it resembles fine sandy crumbs. Be careful not to over-process. You're looking for a sandy texture with small butter pieces still visible.
- Add the egg yolks and pulse until the dough begins to clump together into a soft dough. It will start off very crumbly but will eventually come together.
- Divide the dough in two and place each half on a piece of parchment paper.
- Roll each piece into a log about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Wrap each log tightly in the parchment paper.
- Refrigerate the dough logs for at least 2 hours or overnight. This step firms up the butter and makes the dough easier to slice cleanly.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the chilled logs. Spread a few tablespoons of turbinado sugar on a piece of parchment paper and roll each log in the sugar, pressing gently so it sticks all around.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into rounds about 1/3 to 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.
- Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden. The lower temperature allows the cookies to bake gently, reducing the risk of browning too quickly on the edges before the center is done. Keep an eye on them, as oven temperatures vary and the thickness of your cookies will affect timing.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Butter: Use good-quality butter with at least 82% butterfat. Higher fat means less water, which results in a more tender, crumbly cookie. European-style butter is a great choice.
- Roll and cut option: If you prefer cut-out cookies, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness before chilling. Once cold, cut with cookie cutters. These will need less baking time (around 12 to 14 minutes).
- Freezing the dough: Wrapped dough logs freeze well for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before slicing.
- Both metric and US measurements are provided. For the most consistent results, I recommend using a kitchen scale and the metric measurements.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 86mgPotassium: 15mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 257IUCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!