Lemon Poppy Seed Sablé Cookies
These Lemon Poppy Seed Sablé cookies are melt-in-your-mouth French shortbreads that I recommend for any season, any occasion, or any reason. They offer a burst of zesty lemon, a gentle crunch from earthy poppy seeds, all wrapped in a rich buttery flavor. With their delicate, sandy texture, these sablés are perfect to pair along with your afternoon tea or coffee. What are French Sablé cookies? If you’ve been following my recipes on this blog for a while, you’re probably no stranger to “Sablés”. These delicate, crumbly shortbread cookies are staples…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 12 min
- Yield
- 16 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp (26g) poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- The zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and poppy seeds. Add the cubed butter, lemon zest and juice, and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly, sandy texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible.
- 2
Step 2 - Add the egg and combine until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.
- 3
Step 3 - After the 30 minutes, unwrap the dough and place it onto a lightly floured surface.
- 4
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- 5
Step 4 - Roll the dough until it is ½-inch thick (1.27cm) and cut out circles with a cookie cutter.
- 6
Step 5 - Transfer the sablés onto the paper-lined baking sheets, at least 1½ inches (3.8 cm) apart. If the dough is a little sticky, you may need a spatula to delicately unpeel the sablés from the working surface. With a fork, poke little holes in each cookie.
- 7
Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges of the sablé cookies turn lightly golden. Take out of the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer the sablés to a cooling rack.
- 8
Remember, these get better by the day!