If you love Snickerdoodles but want a fresh take that feels a bit fancier, try these Snickerdoodle Sables.
Sables are, essentially, French shortbread cookies. They tend to be lighter in texture than the traditional British and Scottish versions, and also are usually cut from a log and hence are round in shape.
For these cookies, plan on making the dough ahead of time. It needs time to chill (don’t we all?). That ends up making the actual baking process so quickly. Slice, brush on some yolk, dip in cinnamon-sugar, set on pan, repeat.
I modified this from the Bake from Scratch July/August 2018 issue.
Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Sables
These delicate French shortbread cookies are a delicious variation of classic American snickerdoodles. Make the dough hours or days ahead of baking. Makes about 33 cookies. Modified from Bake from Scratch July/August 2018 issue.
Servings: 33 cookies
Equipment
- plastic wrap
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg yolk for brushing atop the cookies
Instructions
- Mix the white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add 1/3 cup of the cinnamon sugar mix followed by the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Beat to incorporate. Add 1 egg yolk along with the vanilla. Gradually add the flour, pausing to scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times.
- Using hands, knead the dough until it fully comes together. Lay out two long stretches of plastic wrap. Roughly divide the dough in half and form it into tube shapes of the same size on each sheet of plastic wrap. Encase the dough in plastic, rolling it to smooth the edges and compress the dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for least 4 hours or as long as a few days. Save the remaining cinnamon-sugar mix.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Place the remaining egg yolk in a bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a sharp knife or bench knife to slice the dough into 1/2-inch coins. Brush the top of each round with egg yolk, then dip coated surface into the cinnamon-sugar to coat. Place rounds spaced out on parchment.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until cookies are set. Let cool on pan a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
