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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET: My French Sable Cookies are the classic French Butter cookie, loved for their crumbly, sandy texture, simplicity, and decadent amount of butter.
Can you believe that just four ingredients are all you need to make homemade French Sable Cookies? Believe it! The most beloved French cookie is beyond simple to make, but it requires one special ingredient: really good butter.
Not unlike my 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies, French Sablé Cookies have a crumbly texture, almost sandy — in fact, “sablé” means sand in French — that melts in your mouth when you bite them. The taste is beyond simplistic, absolutely impossible to put down, and serves as the perfect companion to a cup of hot tea.
These cookies are super quick to bake, too! Which means you can make them whenever the cravings hit — and once you try them, those cravings might hit a lot!
What Are French Sable Cookies?
Sable cookies, sometimes called French Butter Cookies, Palet Bréton, or Sable Breton, are delicious butter cookies made with the most simple of ingredients. In texture and taste, they are similar to a traditional English shortbread cookie; however, French Sable cookie dough includes two large egg yolks. Then, before baking, brush the cookies’ tops with a third egg yolk!
What Butter Should I Use For Butter Cookies? Cultured Butter Vs. Regular Butter
It is so important to use the best butter you can find when making Sable Cookies. Find good quality, high-fat, salted butter. Good butter is what makes these cookies taste delicious and melt in your mouth. If you can find it, use cultured butter.
Cultured butter has a much more dominant buttery taste and is creamier than regular butter. Unlike regular butter, which is made by churning fresh cream until it forms solid butter, cultured butter is made by introducing bacterial cultures to pasteurized cream. The cream is left to ferment until it thickens. This fermentation results in a more buttery taste plus adds a slight tang, similar to the tang you can taste in yogurt.
Tools You Need To Make Homemade French Sable Cookies
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stand mixer or handheld electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Baking sheets
- 2-inch (5 cm) round cookie cutter
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Homemade Sable Cookies
- Do not skimp on the butter quality for these cookies, as it is the main flavor. Good quality salted butter (cultured, if you can find it) is key.
- Make Vanilla Bean Sables by mixing 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste into the dough along with the butter.
- Try tossing 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary or dried lavender into the dough along with the flour.
- Sandwich these cookies with some Homemade Ganache or Dulce de Leche.
- These cookies hold their shape well, and you can use them instead of sugar cookies for holiday cut-out cookies. Instead of egg wash, make Royal Icing to decorate the cookies.
Try More Of My Favorite Cookie Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
- Gemma’s Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Homemade Hamantaschen Cookies
Try These Recipes!
French Sable Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (6 oz/170 g) excellent quality salted butter, softened
- ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 cups (10 oz/284 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a medium bowl and a handheld electric mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in 2 egg yolks, then turn the speed to low and gradually mix in the flour until incorporated.
- Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼-inch (6-mm) thick and cut cookies using a 2-inch (5-cm) round cutter.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and, with a thin, sharp knife, score the tops to create a crosshatch pattern.
- Whisk the remaining egg yolk with a few drops of water (up to ½ teaspoon) to loosen it, then brush it over the tops of the cookies.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Let cool on wire racks, then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature for about an hour.
Very tasty recipe! Couldn’t get the ingredients to come together so I had to add an extra 1/2 a stick of butter. Also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Came out golden and yummy! Definitely a keeper!
Tried this recipe out for the 2nd time and I remembered to take a pic this time haha! They tasted great, and had a buttery and crisp crumbly texture.
I added 1/4tsp of salt and reduced the sugar to 80g as I wanted it more savoury. In addition to working on a lightly floured surface, i sprinkled some flour on the top of the dough before cutting out the circles. Found that it prevents the dough from getting too sticky as I live in a warm climate.
These look lovely to have with tea! I’m going to try them with gluten-free flour. Most cookies work fine with gluten-free flour.
Like Shelby in the comments before me, I also wanted to recreate The Roost Sablés from Animal Crossing, and this recipe didn’t disappoint! As Gemma says, definitely go for high-quality butter if you can — it’s the star in this cookie. I chose to brush them with the remaining egg whites instead of cracking a third egg for another yolk and it still gave them a nice golden burnish. The only issue I ran into was that the dough was a bit crumbly even after resting in the fridge and warming up a bit on the counter before I went… Read more »
I recently purchased a manual cookie press. It says that a sable dough is good for making these pressed cookies. Will this recipe work?
Used this recipe with me new cookie cutter to recreate the Roost Sables from Animal Crossing! Dough was crumbly so l added a couple tablespoons of milk and it came out good! Great with some good coffee!
Could I sun almond flour?
Can you roll the dough into a log and chill and then cut into rounds? Or will this dough not work for that?
Hi Gemma ????
I’m not such a great roller and cutter ????♀️ I wonder…can I roll this into a nice even log about 2″ across and refrigerate, then slice about 1/4″ cookies and complete as directed?
Thank you,
Deb
Hi Gemma – has the sugar got to be granulated, I usually only buy caster?