COOKIE WEEK: Butter Sablé Trio

French shortbread slice and bake cookies made three different ways.

Hi Bakers!

Welcome to Day 4 of our 3rd Annual Cookie Week!

Sablé cookies are buttery French shortbread. Sablé or “sand” in French describes their tender texture. They give a slight “snap” when broken in half, their soft centers a bit crumbly in contrast to the crunchy, sugary edges. 

Honestly, sablés are the perfect cookie, even in their plainest state. Made easily and quickly with pantry staples, they allow the butter and vanilla flavors to shine with just a hint of salt. 

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I also love is how versatile they are. Dunk ‘em in chocolate, dip ‘em in glaze, or add a swirl of frosting. The base recipe is like a blank canvas that welcomes a variety of spices, nuts, citrus zest, herbs, and other add-ins.

So while they really don’t need extra fanfare, I made three different flavor variations to try this holiday season, because we can.

Instant espresso powder is a great way to add a dose of coffee flavor. The finely chopped chocolate freckles the dough and pairs perfectly with coffee in this not-so-sweet combination. Amazing for dunking in your latte, if you ask me.

Dutch-processed cocoa powder adds a deep chocolate flavor to the chocolate sablés. Folding in chocolate chunks was an obvious choice. I added a half teaspoon or so of ground cardamom along with the sugar for rolling on the outside. Cardamom and chocolate is truly such a great flavor combo.

For the last of the trio, I picked peppermint. My daughter danced as a Peppermint Patty in The Nutcracker this year, and this was such a fun tribute. Peppermint extract spikes the pinwheel, two-toned dough. 

Need a gift idea? The logs of dough are already wrapped in parchment and just need a touch of flair to make the perfect present. Tie ribbon on the ends of the dough and a flavor label. Don’t forget to include baking instructions!