French Butter Cookies

Sablés, which is also known as French Butter Cookies, originates from Normandy in France. The cookie is crumbly in texture and derives it's name from 'Sablés', which in French stands for 'sand'. Traditionally the cookie is round in shape with fluted edges. The top of the cookies are usually brushed with egg wash to give them a shiny appearance. The classic finishing touch, which makes these cookies instantly recognizable, is to score a criss-cross pattern on the top of each. The flavor of the Sablés is dependent on the quality of the ingredients, especially the butter and vanilla extract. I chose to be a non-conformist with both the shape of the cookie and the pattern. Here's my version of the French Butter Cookies.

Ingredients

For the Cookie

10 Tbsp Unsalted Butter in room temp

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1 large Egg in room temperature

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

Egg Wash

1 Large Egg

1 Tbsp Water

Directions for Preparation

1. Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric/hand mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until blended. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Do not over mix the dough. At this point it is advisable to use your hands instead of the mixer. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times to bring it together, and then divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least an hour). 
3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough until it is approx. 1 cm thick. Use a round fluted cookie cutter to cut out the cookies, placing them on the prepared sheet. I used a flower shaped cookie cutter instead just to give it a shape variation. Place the baking sheet of cut out cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 -20 minutes to chill the dough. 
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg with the water for the egg wash. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and brush the tops with the egg wash. Make the crisscross pattern on the top of each cookie with the tines of a fork. I chose not to make the classic pattern.

1. Bake cookies in the preheated oven for about 12-14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

1. Let the cookies cool down on a wire rack. And enjoy. Storing in an air tight container will help preserve the cookies for about a week.