Butter Sablés from Alsace (Butterbredele)
If there’s one French Holiday cookie recipe to have in your repertoire, this is the one. These Butter sablés from the Alsace region, known as “butterbredele”, are the most common cut-out cookies made and enjoyed over the Holidays in France. They are buttery, subtly flavored with lemon zest and satisfyingly crisp yet sandy. They are also simple to make – which make them a great baking project for the whole family. They are perfect for gifting, hanging on trees or just to be devoured on the spot. Cooking Notes: Make…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 18 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (125g) sugar
- ½ lemon zest
- 1/2 cup (125g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 cup (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp (15ml) milk
Instructions
- 1
Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.
- 2
Step 1 - In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub with your fingers so the zest releases its oils and the sugar becomes somewhat moist and lumpy. Add the soft butter and mix with a whisk until fluffy in texture. Add the egg yolks and mix until combined. Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon, add the flour and salt, and mix until it all comes together into a rough ball. Wrap with plastic film and chill for at least 2 hours.
- 3
Pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) with a rack in the middle. Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- 4
Step 2 - Take the chilled dough out of the fridge, unwrap and transfer onto a floured working surface. Roll the dough until it is ½-inch thick (1.27cm) and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Optional: you can use a toothpick or a straw to poke out holes at the top of each cookie if you wish to hang them on a Christmas tree.
- 5
Transfer the sablés onto the paper-lined baking sheets. If the dough is a little sticky, you may need a spatula to delicately unpeel the sablés from the working surface.
- 6
Step 3 - In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush the top of the sablés with this egg wash.
- 7
Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges of the sables turn lightly golden.
- 8
Transfer the sablés immediately to a cooling rack.