1 1/2 Sticks unsalted butter
2/3 c Sugar
2 Egg yolks
2 c Flour
1 Egg yolk plus 1 teaspoon
-water; beaten
Makes about fifteen 3 1/2-inch cookies or five dozen 1 3/4-inch cookies
1. Fit processor with steel blade. Process the butter and sugar until
creamy. Add the 2 egg yolks and mix for 30 seconds. Add half the flour and
process until smooth. Add remaining flour and process until blended. Wrap
dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 2 to 4 hours.
2. Keep dough in the refrigerator until ready to use, and then roll only a
third at a time on a very well-floured board. Roll about 1/8-inch thick.
Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters, or a biscuit cutter, and
transfer immediately onto a buttered baking sheet. Keep the cut cookies
chilled until you have finished cutting all the dough.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the top of each cookie with
yolk-and-water glaze; sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake 8 to 10 minutes,
until cookies are pale golden. Remove to rack and cool.
NOTES : Rich, buttery sabl? cookies come from Caen, a small oceanside town
in France?s Normandy region. Sabl? means “sand” or “sandy,” which aptly
describes the cookie?s delicate and crumbly texture–a cross between sugar
cookies and shortbread. Martha likes to make sabl?s in a variety of sizes
with fluted edges, topped with an egg glaze and a sprinkle of sugar. This
version of the French classic is made in the food processor and must be
well chilled before it can be served.
Yields
15 Servings