Sables - 2 flavors, 1 dough

These are my new faves.  Sables are as abundant in France as the chocolate chip cookie is in the good 'ole US of A.  Sables are a glamorous shortbread.  And boy do I love a good shortbread.

This dough is so versatile.  The main dough can be altered to create many different flavors and tastes.  Today I made a simple hazelnut dough and a lemon - almond dough.  These cookies are so light, but don't break when you bite into them.  They hold their shape and bake easily.  And...the dough can be shaped, rolled and frozen.  My kind of dough.

Sables
Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

ingredients:
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large egg yolks
2 cups all purpose flour
sanding sugar for rolling


instructions:
• working with a standing mixer and a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed.  add the sugars, & salt and beat until blended, this mixture should be smooth and velvety.
• reduce mixer speed to low and add the egg yolks until well blended
• add flour and pulse a few times until you don't see any flour left in the bowl.  if it feels like play-doh it is done.
• scrape dough out on to a slightly floured work surface and shape into a ball.  divide the ball in half.
• shape each ball into a 9" log.  wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
to bake
• preheat oven to 350*.  line baking sheet with silpat mats.
• unwrap one of the logs (keep the others in the fridge). brush the log with one egg yolk that has been whisked.  immediately roll the log in sugar.
• slice the log into 1/3" thick cookies, place on prepared cookie sheet, leaving some space between each cookie.
• bake for 17-20 minutes, rotating the pans, front to back and top to bottom at the half way point.  they should be golden around the edges and pale on top.
• let cookies cool on racks.


variations:
• replace 1/2 cup of your flour with a nut of your choice.
• add the zest of a lemon to your sugar mixture before adding to the creamed butter.

the G's got a box of both the lemon and the 

hazelnut along with a bag of "crack" cookies!