Sablé Cookies Recipe

Servings:

20 to 24

When a classic cookie like this is done right, there’s nothing better. These sablé cookies are indeed done right—and they are one of the most foolproof recipes to make. The dough comes together quickly in the food processor, and produces cookies that are buttery, crumbly, and just sweet enough (thank you, crackly sugar crust). So grab your rolling pin and a fluted cookie cutter to make these simple yet impressive cookies—you can gift them during the holidays or make a batch for an anyday dessert.

What Are Sablé Cookies?

Sablé dough is a common type of pastry that’s used for both pies and tarts as well as cookies. The word "sablé" translates as "sand" in French. Compared to pâte brisée, which is often used for pie crust, sablé dough is much more like shortbread dough. It’s richer and crumblier than traditional pie dough because of the eggs and sugar content. Egg yolks add richness and moisture to sablé dough. Together with the butter, they’re responsible for the pale golden color of the finished cookies. Additionally, sablé dough usually has more sugar. So if it’s being used for pies or tarts, the flavor will be sweeter, but it also makes it especially nice for cookies.

While these cookies can be made by hand, our recipe utilizes the food processor. This handy kitchen tool makes it super quick to put the dough together.

4 Tips for Rolling Out Sablé Dough

This simple recipe requires patience, but follow these tips and you’ll get perfect cookies every time.

Refrigerate before cutting and baking: It might be tempting to skip this step, but in order for the cookies to maintain their texture and hold their shape, chilling is crucial. Refrigerate before cutting out the rounds and again before the cookies go into the oven.
Skip the flour for rolling: You’re probably used to rolling out dough on a work surface with a dusting of flour, but that can cause these sablé cookies to turn out dense and tough when too much more flour is incorporated into the dough. Instead, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper or between a nonstick baking mat and a piece of plastic wrap.
Rotate the dough occasionally: As you roll the dough out, rotate it every few turns of the rolling pin. This helps keep it an even thickness.
Keep the dough chilled: Keep the dough cold as you work with it. Warm dough means the butter will start to leak—not only will that make the dough harder to work with, but it will also affect the short, crumbly texture of the cookies. As you work, the warmth from your hands will naturally heat up the dough, so you may need to pop it in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

Recipe Variations

Once you have a handle on the basic recipe, try adding other flavorings:

Almond extract: Almond extract has a much stronger flavor than vanilla, so we don’t recommend swapping it 1:1. Replace between ¼-and-½-teaspoon of the vanilla for almond extract.
Citrus zest: Orange, lemon, and lime zest are all equally delicious. Use about 1 teaspoon per batch (or more if you want a distinct citrus flavor).
Cocoa powder: Replace 2 tablespoons of the flour for Dutch-process cocoa powder to give the cookies a subtle chocolate flavor. Alternately, dip one edge of each cookie in melted semisweet chocolate and let the glaze set at room temperature before taking a bite.
Nuts: Stir a handful of chopped almonds, pistachios, or pecans into the cookie dough before rolling.
Freeze-dried fruit: Grind freeze-dried raspberries, strawberries, or mango into dust in the food processor and add it to the sanding sugar that’s sprinkled on top.
Jam: Sandwich the cookies with jam, preserves, or something like chocolate-hazelnut spread or lemon curd.

Directions

Prep baking sheet:

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
Mix butter and sugar, add yolks, salt, and vanilla, then flour in two parts:

Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor; process until creamy. Add egg yolks, salt, and vanilla; process for 30 seconds until combined. Add 1 cup flour and process until smooth. Add remaining cup of flour to processor; process to combine.

Credit:
Kelsey Hansen
Form dough into square, wrap and chill:

Turn dough out onto work surface and form into flat square; wrap with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator until chilled.

Credit:
Kelsey Hansen
Roll our dough in two halves, then chill:

Place a nonstick baking mat on work surface. Halve the dough and place one half on baking mat; top with a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll out dough between baking mat and plastic wrap until it is 1/8-inch-thick. Transfer to fridge to chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining half of dough.

Credit:
Kelsey Hansen
Cut out dough and transfer to baking sheets:

Using a 2-inch round fluted cookie cutter, cut out dough and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Transfer baking sheets to refrigerator until dough is chilled, about 20 minutes.

Credit:
Kelsey Hansen
Gather scraps roll and cut out and chill:

Roll out scraps of dough, and repeat. Repeat process with remaining half of dough. Transfer to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven; make egg glaze and brush cookies, sprinkle with sugar:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix together remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water; brush tops of cookies with egg white mixture. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.

Credit:
Kelsey Hansen
Bake cookies and cool:

Transfer to oven. Bake until cookies are pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Credit:
Kelsey Hansen

How to Freeze Sablé Cookies

If you don’t plan to bake off all of the cookies at once, you can freeze them for another day. Once you’ve cut out the rounds from the dough, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in an even layer on the baking sheet for up to three months.

When you’re ready to bake, you can bake them from frozen and tack on a few minutes to the baking time; or remove the plastic wrap and thaw the cookies in the refrigerator overnight.

Baked cookies can also be frozen. Freeze them in an even layer as above. Once frozen, place the cookies in a freezer-safe re-sealable storage bag, placing a layer of waxed or parchment paper between the layers, and freeze for up to three months.