French Sable Cookies
These delicious French Sable Cookies also known as Breton Cookies are a simple buttery crumbly French butter cookie. A must try this Holiday Season.
There’s nothing better then a Christmas Time Butter Cookie, I like to include not only this French one but also an Italian Butter Cookie on my Christmas Cookie Tray.
Italians aren’t big on shortbread but they do love their Butter Cookies, and Sable Cookies are very popular here at Christmas time.
I recently bought Dorie Greenspan’s Cookbook “Baking from my home to yours”, a fabulous book.
I happened to come across her recipe for Sable Cookies and I knew I would have to give it a try. I even ordered some sparkling sugar to roll them in!
And yes they are as delicious as I imagined. Now I know why the Italians love to make them too.
How to make French Sable Cookies
- In the bowl of the mixer cream the butter on medium speed, then add the sugars and salt, beat for one minute.
- Reduce the speed to low, add the egg yolks and vanilla beat for one minute.
- Scrape the bowl.
- Continue on low speed and add the flour a little at a time.
- Mix just until combined, the dough will be soft.
- There may be flour remaining at the bottom of the bowl, mix it into the dough with a spatula.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured flat surface and knead gently into a ball.
- Divide the dough into two parts. I formed one into a log and one into a ball. The log is for slice and bake and the round is for cut out cookies. You can do the same or do one or the other.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least three hours.
- Remove the dough from the fridge.
- Brush the log with an egg wash, then sprinkle it with sparkling sugar, cut into 1/3″ slices and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- or roll the dough on a lightly floured flat surface and cut out with your favourite cookie cutters.
- Place the cut outs on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Refrigerate the cookies again while the oven is pre-heating.
- Bake for about 15-17 minutes.
- After a few minutes remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and carefully place on a wire rack to cool completely.
How long does the dough last in the fridge?
The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. If you are making cut out cookies the dough will probably be too hard to roll, so let it sit for about 15-20 minutes before rolling and cutting.
Can the dough be frozen
The dough can be frozen, be sure to wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag or container. It will keep for up to two months.
What are Sable Cookies
Sablé are also known as Sable Breton or French Butter Cookies. These cookies originated in Sablé-sur-Sarthe in France. They are apparently as popular in France as Chocolate Chip cookies in North America.
The name Sable means sand in French, which refers to the sandy texture of these tender and crumbly cookies.
What is the difference between Sable cookies and Shortbread?
Sable cookies include eggs or, as in this recipe, egg yolks. Eggs add a rich flavor and delicate texture.
How to know when the cookies are done
The cookies take about 15-17 minutes to bake, when they are light brown on bottom and lightly golden around the edges, but still pale on top, they are ready.
How to store them
The cookies should be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry room, they will keep for up to a week.
How to freeze the cookies
The cookies should be placed in a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep for up to four weeks in the freezer if stored properly.
More Delicious Christmas Cookies to make
So if you would like to add a Butter Cookie to your baking list this year I hope you give these French Sable Cookies a try and let me know what you think. Happy Baking!
French Sable Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened*
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered / icing sugar (sifted)
- 1 pinch salt (if you use unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt)
- 2 egg yolks (room temperature)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*Be sure to use a good quality butter, apparently this year 2022, store brand butter quality is not what it used to be. Less fat could mean a dry not so tasty cookie.
EXTRAS
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4-1/3 cup sparkling or granulated sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of the mixer cream the butter on medium speed, then add the sugars and salt, beat for one minute. Reduce the speed to low then add the egg yolks and vanilla beat for one minute. Be sure to scrape the bowl.
- Continue on low speed and add the flour in three additions, combining as you add.
- Mix the dough just until combined, the dough will be soft. There may be flour remaining at the bottom of the bowl, mix it into the dough with a spatula.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured flat surface and knead gently into a ball. Divide the dough into two parts. I formed one into a log about 8-9 inches (20-22 cm) and one into a ball. The log is for slice and bake and the round is for cut out cookies. You can do the same or do one or the other. (If you make of the same type of cookie, be sure to make either two logs or two rounds for easier handling of the dough). Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least three hours.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. Brush the log with the egg wash (in a small bowl beat together the egg and milk), then sprinkle it with sparkling sugar, cut into 1/3" slices and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- To make the cut-out cookies, roll the dough on a lightly floured flat surface and cut out with your favourite cookie cutters. Place the cut outs on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with sparkling sugar or granulated sugar. No egg wash needed.
- Refrigerate the cookies again while the oven is pre-heating at 325F (160C).
- Once the oven is ready remove the cookies, one sheet at a time from the fridge and bake 15-17 minutes or until the cookies are light brown on the bottom and lightly golden around the edges but still pale on top.
- After 2-3 minutes carefully remove the cookies with a metal spatula from the cookie sheet and carefully place on a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Help! I’m making these and my dough looks too crumbly. Any suggestions?
Hi Natalie, I am probably too late but add a bit more butter, start with a tablespoon if it’s too crumbly. Let me know. Take care!
I rarely buy salted butter; can I use unsalted butter and just add salt?
Thanks.
Hi Lo, yes you can, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I hope you enjoy them. Take care!
Should the butter be softened before mixing?
Thanks.
Hi Lo, yes, sorry about that, I added it in. I hope you like them. Take care!
How would this compare to your regular shortbread cookies or your Christmas (vanilla biscuit / sugar) cookies. They ask have similar descriptors and ingredients so I’m wondering how they differ in taste and texture. Looking for a good cookie to make but trying all three recipes seems like a bit much.
Hi Kim, Sable cookies include eggs or, as in this recipe, egg yolks. Eggs add a rich flavor and delicate texture, they still have a melt in your mouth texture but they are crumblier than shortbread. I also find shortbread to have a more buttery taste. Hope that helps. Take care!
I constantly find recipes that sound fairly straightforward, follow them exactly, and still fail. This is the first recipe I have ever commented on because it came out perfectly!!
Hi Michelle, thanks so much, so glad it worked for you. Take care and Happy New Year!
We all loved these! Simple, yet delicious. Can I add orange zest and a couple of tablespoons of orange juice to this recipe without ruining it?
Hi Jamie, thanks so much glad everyone enjoyed them. I don’t see why you couldn’t, instead of the vanilla you could add orange extract. I would probably add zest, adding orange juice might make the dough too wet (although you could add a bit more flour) and then the cookies spread. Let me know how it goes. Take care
Hello,
I Am so excited to make this recipe as I love the sables I buy from a French gourmet market in my town. I am just curious about how I’ve noticed that sable recipes seem to omit baking powder whereas ordinary sugar cookies calls for it. Is this deliberately and is there some science to it? -sorry for technical question
Hi Nan, thanks, I hope you like them. Sable cookies are more of a shortbread texture than sugar cookies, therefore no baking powder, you want a denser cookie, baking powder will make them lighter and rise higher. Hope that helps. Take care!
Excellent butter cookies. Very similar to a shortbread. They’re tender but not fragile and are nice and buttery. The egg yolks give them a rich yellow colour. I doubled the vanilla and added a pinch of nutmeg. The dough handled beautifully and was firm enough to roll smoothly after being chilled for 45 minutes. The cookies baked up level and smooth and kept their cookie cutter shape. I followed the metric measures. I was skeptical about the butter measure since 1 cup of butter is most commonly rated 225 – 227 grams on popular baking sites, but the dough wasn’t dry or crumbly with 210 grams of butter. I rolled the dough to 1/4″ thickness, and the cookies baked for 17 minutes.
Hi Sadie, thanks so much so glad you enjoyed them. When I measure butter here it always comes out as 210 grams for a cup. I have no idea why. So my old recipes are usually based on that and my new ones I have calculated using 225 grams. Have a great weekend. Take care.
I haven’t tried this yet. I would like to know if I can freeze the dough before baking. Thank you
Hi coco, yes you can freeze cookie dough. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer, place in freezer safe container or bag. You could even cut out the cookies and freeze the unbaked cookies on a cookie sheet until firm then move to a freezer save container.
Absolutely divine. Resisting the urge to gobble them all up in one sitting was tough 🙂
Hi Rashida, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed them. Take care and have a great weekend.
Beautiful recipe! And those cookies do look like the sable ones we have in France! Well done!
Thank you so much Lithenna, they are so good.
Hi Rosemary. The Sablé cookies sound wonderful. I plan to make them as cut outs. I have a few quick questions.
When the dough is rolled out is the thickness to be about 1/3 “? Can I use Christmas sprinkles instead of the granulated sugar? Thirdly, can the scraps be re rolled to cut out additional cookies?
Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I really enjoy your blog
Patricia
Hi Patricia I am sure sprinkles would work and yes definitely re roll the scraps. They will be chilled while the oven is pre-heating so it will be fine. Let me know how it goes.