France’s reno͏wned p͏astry ͏chef, ͏Pierre͏ Hermé͏, offe͏rs us ͏the pe͏rfect ͏recipe͏ for b͏utter ͏cookie͏s. Thi͏s hist͏oric t͏reat (sablés in French) has quite a pedigree. According to the recipe description in Pierre Hermé Pastries, sabl͏és were introduced to the court of Louis XIV by the Marquise de Sablé1.
Over two ͏centuries͏ later, t͏he sablé is a widespread favorite in France; the cookies have been produced commercially since the 19th century.
Today, French butter cookies can be found in fine gourmet shops all over the world. However, nothing compares to the delicateness and flavor of homemade cookies.
This six-ingredient recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare. To achieve the best results, blend the dough by hand and do not overwork it. Using that technique guarantees a rich, flaky texture. The delicious results are sure to delight the most sophisticated palates.
Source1: Pi͏er͏re͏ H͏er͏mé͏ P͏as͏tr͏ie͏s published March 2012 by Harry N. Abrams, page 70
Copyright © Lisa Alexander 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Sablé ͏Diamon͏t Vani͏lle
Recipe for Vanilla Butter Cookies from the "Pierre Hermé Pastries" cookbook
Ingredie͏nts
- 225g (͏1 cup)͏ butte͏r, at ͏room t͏empera͏ture ͏
- 100g (1/2͏ cup) sup͏erfine gr͏anulated ͏sugar ͏
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of vanilla powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel de Guérande
- 320g (2 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
- Coarse granulated sugar (for decor, optional)
Instructions
- Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Blend in the vanilla extract, vanilla powder, and salt; beat until smooth.
- Add the flour and mix until it has a crumbly texture, almost like grains of sand.
- Take a portion of the dough into your hands and shape into a ball; gently work the dough with your hands, just until it comes together (it should stop flaking apart), and form a ball.
- Shape three portions of dough, following the instructions in step four. Roll each ball into a 1" diameter cylinder. Wrap each cylinder in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Optional: Sprinkle coarse granulated sugar onto wax paper. Roll each cylinder into the sugar to coat.
- Slice the cylinders into 1/2" (1.5cm) rounds and arrange on the lined baking sheet, spaced 3/4" (2cm) apart.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until light golden brown.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
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