These are classic French Salted Butter Cookies – crumbly and melt in your mouth full of buttery flavour. Originating from Brittany in the northeast of France (famous for their salted butter), these Breton Cookies(Sablé Breton) have a sandy texture and are traditionally round with fluted edges. Unbelievably delicious with just five very simple ingredients and very easy to make. Is it okay to say, that I prefer these rustic cookies to the fancier French Macaroons?
The butter is the star ingredient here (there is no other flavouring except for vanilla) so it is worthwhile to use a top quality salted butter for this recipe. In Sydney, the brands that I can usually get are President, the Danish butter Lurpak and Pepe Saya. At a pinch, any salted butter will do, it will still be delicious.
This recipe only uses egg yolks, so what do you do with the egg whites? Well, it so happens that I have cookie recipes that only use egg whites so very convenient. Take your pick between Amaretti Cookies or Persian Pistachio Crinkle Cookies.
Breton cookies are usually baked in pastry rings, but I don’t really have them and I’m not planning to invest in the near future. A really good substitute and this is what I use when I make Breton Cookies is the good old muffin tray.
What you need to make Breton Cookies
- Pantry/Fridge Staples – Good quality salted butter, Caster Sugar, Vanilla Paste, Egg yolks, Plain Flour and Baking Powder
- Muffin Tin or Pastry Rings – The cookies spread a bit because of the amount of butter used, which is why you need something to contain them in. I only have one pastry ring so I bake mine in mini muffin pans.
Easy does it..
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy
- Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat again until well combined.
- In a separate bowl sift together plain flour and baking powder then add this to the egg mix.
- Beat on low until it forms a dough. Place dough in between 2 baking paper or plastic sheets and use a rolling pin to flatten into a 1/2 cm thick disc.
- Use a 2cm cutter to cut circles or whatever the size of the base of the muffin tin you are using.
- Re roll dough scraps to make more cookies approximately 30 in total.
- Brush with beaten egg yolk and use a fork to form decorative patterns on the top of each cookie.
- Place each cookie in a muffin hole and bake for 15 minutes or until pale golden.
- Let the cookies cool in the tin (they are very fragile when warm), then gently ease them out and cool in a cooling rack to cool completely.
Breton Cookies(Sablé Breton)
30
servings15
minutes15
minutesCrumbly and Buttery Melt in your Mouth Breton Cookies
Ingredients
150g Salted Butter
1 cup Caster Sugar
3 egg yolks plus 1 for glazing
1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste/Essence
220g Plain Flour (1 3/4 Cup)
2 teaspoon Baking Powder
Directions
- Place butter and caster sugar in the bowl of a mixer with paddle attachment. Beat on medium until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated into the butter.
- In separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder together.
- Add flour to the butter mix, and mix on low just to combine and form a dough.
- Place dough in between 2 sheets of baking paper or plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to flatten into 1/2 cm thickness.
- Use a round cutter(the same size as the base of the muffin tray you are using) and cut circles of cookies. Place cookies on a tray and brush tops with beaten egg yolk combined with 1 teaspoon water or milk). Use a fork to form decorative patterns on top of each cookie.
- Re roll dough scraps to make more cookies approximately 30 in total.
- Place each cookies in a hole of muffin tray, egg wash side up. Bake cookies for 15 minutes or until pale golden.
- Remove tray from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. The cookies will be very fragile and crumbly fresh from the oven.
- Ease out the cookies from the tray and place in cooling tray to cool completely.
- Will keep for a week in an airtight container.
Notes
- Will keep fresh for a week in an airtight container.
