Sandies/Sablés

These make a very short biscuit (no egg), related to shortbread, but closer to the French sablé. The basic recipe is for a lemon flavour version, but these are readily adaptable to other flavours, even savoury version with cheese and herbs. The recipe started with the Lemon Spelt Sablés from Annie Bell’s Baking Bible, from which I also took Canelés (and should be subtitled “how to bake using only a food processor”!).

• 115g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
• 50g caster sugar
• 150g plain flour
• 60g ground almonds
• finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• Pinch salt

Put all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse in short bursts until a dough forms. Turn out and shape into a log, approx 3-4cm diameter; roll in demerara sugar and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for several hours.

Preheat 140C fan oven. Slice 1cm thick, making approx 20-25, and put onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 mins and allow to cool before lifting off.

Variations

Change the butter, goat or french cultured; cocoa, cardamom, ginger, dried or fresh or preserved; orange zest, maple sugar, anise/fennel seeds. For savoury, reduce the sugar and add cheese, rosemary, thyme, finely chopped jámon or prosciutto.

Chocolate: add 2 tbs cocoa powder (25g) to the mix, but make sure to reduce the flour to 125g!

Cardamom: add 1 tsp of fresh ground cardamom.

See also a very different take: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/sable-bretons-french-butter-cookie-recipe/