Day 7 of Cookie Week 2019 brings you one of the best holiday cookies, Christmas Sprinkle Sables. Sables are know as a French butter cookie or shortbread. Born in the Normandy region of France, sables are delicate and crumbly and not too sweet. Perfect for ending a meal with coffee or tea. Once you create a recipe you love then anything is possible with the recipe.
Christmas Sprinkle Sables
Adding different extras to a sable recipe makes for interesting combinations like finely ground nuts, dried fruit and spices or extracts. In this recipe, I added Christmas sprinkles in red and green and blue and silver for Hanukkah. I actually wasn’t thinking of any particular theme rather I wanted the cookies to just look pretty. trust me they taste as good as they look.
Christmas Sprinkle Sables
The first sable recipe I tried was from Dorie Greenspan and I thought this will become a favorite each year. Sables are super easy to prepare since you chill the dough then slice and bake. They are also sliced on the thicker side because if sliced too thin they become hard and tend to brown to quickly during making. Sables are not as flavorful when baked in this way so be careful. I want you to bake the most delicious cookies and have your guests say “Wow”!
Christmas Sprinkle Sables
After baking ensure you cool the cookies completely before eating and storing. Sables are not as flavorful when eaten warm so don’t be in a hurry. I recommend waiting a day before serving allowing the flavor and texture melds. The inside can be a bit chewy which is great yet the outside has the classic crumbly texture. Need I mention the ratio of butter? Let’s just say there is plenty. Hey, butter is what makes these cookies so good.
Christmas Sprinkle Sables
So as Christmas and Hanukkah are upon us, enjoy what I might call a perfect cookie for gift giving, potlucks, cookie swaps or any party atmosphere you attend. The holiday season is celebrating joy of being with those you love and remembering those that cannot be with us. Celebrating with good food makes the heart happy and I hope my week of delicious cookies makes you and yours extremely happy and bring smiles to many faces. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone!
Christmas Sprinkle Sables
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 t. fine sea salt
2 egg yolks
4 t. pure vanilla extract
1 t. pure almond extract
4 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
12 T. sprinkles or jimmies of your choice, divided
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed for 1 minute. Add in sugars and salt and beat until smooth, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl.
Add in egg yolks and extracts, beating until combined. On low speed, gradually add in flour, beating until just combined. Stir in 6 T. sprinkles or jimmies.
Divide cookie dough into 4 equal parts, rolling into 7-inch logs. Wrap each log into wax paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours up to 2 days.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch slices and place slices 2-inches apart on prepared pans. Freeze cookies for one hour.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees. Top cookies with remaining sprinkles or jimmies, pressing lightly to adhere and bake 16 to 18 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 5 dozen sables.
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