French Butter Cookies
cookies
Make these sweet and tasty French Butter Cookies. Also known as Sables Breton, these are a simple cookie that are simply delicious. Made with a high-quality butter, these easy cookies are perfect for an afternoon snack or to accompany a cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 1 cup European butter room temperature, *See Note
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups sifted flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
- Gradually add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- On three separate sheets of wax paper, roll the dough into three logs 1 1/2-inches thick as follows. Take one third of the dough and place it in the center of the wax paper with the long edge closest to you. Fold the edge of the paper over the dough and using the straight edge of a ruler or dough cutter, pull the ruler towards you applying moderate pressure. The paper and ruler will roll the dough for you. I've found it easiest to form even and rounded rolls using this method, but if you have your own way using some plastic wrap, go for it.
- Twist the ends of the wax paper or plastic wrap to seal and put into a tall glass or glasses so that each roll is standing on its' end. Refrigerate for at least one hour to overnight.
- When ready to bake, place a rack into the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment.
- Remove one log from the fridge and roll it in the granulated sugar, making sure to coat it completely.
- With a sharp knife, cut slices 1/4-inch thick.
- Place the slices on the prepared cookie sheet 1-inch apart.
- With a toothpick, make 4 decorative holes in each cookie or using the tines on the back of a fork, make a criss-cross pattern as you would for a peanut butter cookie.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack so that they can cool completely.
Notes
To obtain a better flavored cookie, I strongly suggest you use a European, European-style butter or "cultured" butter as it will make a difference. Kerrygold would be a good choice. Also, Challenge and Land O' Lakes make a European-style butter. American butters have a bit more water and less fat content than European. See post for more tips and information.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.3mg