Duchess Bake Shop’s Cardamom Orange Sablés Bretons
By Chatelaine16
PREP TIME
20 min
TOTAL TIME
1 h 50 min
Makes
16 cookies
Produced by Radiyah Chowdhury, Irene Ngo and Aimee Nishitoba; photography by Erik Putz; food styling by Michelle Rabin; Paper art by Ali Harrison of Light + Paper
"These traditional French butter cookies are a snap to make. They positively melt in your mouth and make a great addition to any holiday cookie lineup. The cardamom-and-orange combination is perfect for the holidays, but if you aren’t a fan, you could simply omit those flavourings and add a bit more vanilla."—Giselle Courteau, co-owner, Edmonton
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cake and pastry flour , (180 g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar , (128 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp orange zest
Topping
- 1 egg yolk , beaten
- 2 tsp sanding sugar
Instructions
- Line a 9 ×9-in. baking pan with parchment, leaving overhanging edges on 2 long sides.
- Sift flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt into a large bowl.
- Combine 3 yolks and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until thickened and pale yellow, about 2 min. Beat in vanilla until combined. Beat in flour mixture, butter and orange zest just until combined.
- Transfer dough to prepared pan. Press down with your hands, working dough into all corners. (You may need to sprinkle a little flour on
top so it doesn’t stick to your fingers too much.) Using the flat bottom of a cup, smooth top. Refrigerate for 1 hour. - Position rack in centre of oven, and then preheat to 350F.
- Topping: Brush top of cold dough with beaten yolk. Run the tines of a fork across dough horizontally and vertically to create a design. Sprinkle generously with sanding sugar.
- Bake until cookies are golden-brown, 25 to 30 min. Remove from oven. Immediately run a knife between parchment and pan. Lift overhanging parchment and transfer sablés to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 min. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Baker’s tip:
Sanding sugar’s shiny, coloured crystals won’t melt in the oven. Find it at craft or bulk food stores.
