For French Fridays today, I’m bringing you a favourite cookie recipe that, admittedly, I tend to purchase when I’m in France (because really good ones are so readily available!) but over the past year or so, I’ve been playing around with a homemade version that I’m finally happy to share (and – uh oh – now I know how easy they are, we’re all in trouble here!). I taught a version of this recipe in my baking classes leading up to the holidays (for adults and also my students) and everyone loved them.
Sablés Bretons are the butteriest, flakiest cookies which hail from Brittany in northwest France where the butter is “the ultimate Breton product” according to Brittany Tourism:
Brittany’s butter is special, most often salted, in particular using salt from Guérande. There are two reasons for that. First, butter is mainly milk (in particular, cream) and Brittany is a big milk producer. Secondly, in the past, the region was exempt from the salt tax. Brittany brought these two products together to ensure that its butter would keep for longer. That’s also the reason why Breton butter retains all the flavours of the milk.
And speaking of ingredients, these cookies only have a few – flour, butter, eggs and sugar – so it’s important to make sure you use the best quality you can. In the case of the butter, you’re using SALTED butter – European-style if you can find it (that’s a butter with 82% butterfat or more – here’s a great explanation of the difference between our butter and European butter). Even though we’re using salted butter, I’ve also added a pinch of flaky sea salt to the recipe simply because I love the burst of salt a flaky sea salt gives to a cookie. Maldon is easy to find (and increasingly, French salt is easier to find outside France too) but if you’re in France anytime, it’s a pretty great souvenir to pick up!
These cookies don’t require a rest in the fridge (which is one of the reasons I love them!) but if you’re working in a warm kitchen or climate, the dough might benefit from a spell in the fridge after you’ve rolled then but before you cut them out.
Flaky, buttery French shortbread cookies. The secret is in the salted butter! As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Sablés Bretons
Ingredients
Instructions
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Perfect with a glass of milk, an espresso or a cup of tea!
Happy (French) Friday!
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OMG, those look so amazing! !! Definitely going on my tbb (to be baked) list!
Let me know how you like them!
Yum! Bookmarking these, stat!
I hope you enjoy!
YUM!
They really are!