Rochelle Sable Recipes

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Combine flour and salt. Add to the butter mixture and blend until the dough is smooth. On a very lightly floured surface, shape the dough into cylinders about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush refrigerated logs with beaten egg and roll in crystalline sugar. With a sharp knife, slice the dough into rounds about 1/3-inch thick. Place 1-inch apart on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies are slightly colored around the edges.

Steps:

• To make the sugar: Put the sugar, extract and a few drops of coloring in a small zipper-lock plastic bag, seal the bag and shake until the color is even. Add more color if you'd like.
• To make the sablés: Put the raspberries between sheets of wax paper, and crush them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a skillet. Don't expect perfection - it's fine to have mostly powder and a few small nuggets. Whisk the raspberries into the flour.
• Working with a mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until it's soft and creamy, but not airy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, extract and fleur de sel, and beat 3 minutes more. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the bowl, add the flour mixture all at once and pulse the mixer on and off to begin incorporating the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough forms soft curds and then starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Give it a few last turns with a spatula, then scrape it out onto the counter. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, and roll each into an 8-inch-long log.
• Spread the sugar out on a piece of wax paper, and roll the logs in the sugar until they're completely coated. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
• When you're ready to bake, position the racks to divide the oven into thirds, and preheat it to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap the logs, trim the ends if they're ragged and cut the logs into ½-inch-thick rounds. Place them on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each round.
• Bake the cookies for 19 to 21 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back after 10 minutes, or until the cookies are firm around the edges and golden brown on the bottom; the tops will remain pale. Rest the sablés for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Serve - or pack into a container - when the cookies come to room temperature.

Steps:

• Place eggs (and water to cover) in a medium saucepan. Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and let cool. Peel eggs and remove yolks. Mash yolks and set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, yolks, orange zest, and salt. Using your fingertips, quickly press the butter into the flour mixture until it holds together. Shape the dough into a disc and place it between two large pieces of waxed paper. Set it aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out between the waxed paper to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies using a star-shape cookie cutter, a fluted or plain 2 1/2-inch round cutter, or a juice glass.
• Carefully transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between the cookies. (If the dough is too soft and it is difficult to transfer the cookies, slide the waxed paper with the cutout cookies onto a baking sheet and freeze or refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes.) Gather together any scraps of dough and repeat the process.
• Bake for 8 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges.
• Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 2 to 4 minutes. Using a metal spatula, lift the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. When cool, store the cookies in an airtight container. These cookies freeze well.