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French Saint-Michel Cookies
2015-01-17
- This Recipe
- Cuisine: French Cuisine
- Course: Cookie, Dessert, Cookies, Sablé Cookie
- Difficulty: Easy
- Category: Course
- Yield: 26 shortbreads of 7 cm (3") in diameter
- Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking Time: 16 Minutes
- Readiness Time: 1 H
- This Post
- Author : FX (François-xavier)
- Category: Recipe
- Posted on: Saturday January 17, 2015
- Comments : 10 Comments
-
Languages :
English | 
Français
- Ingredients
- Lemon, Eggs, Almond powder, Milk powder,
- Staples
- Bretagne, France, Ouest-Nord
- Print This Recipe
-
Print
La version Française se trouve ICI |
Delicious French Butter Cookies originating in Normandy Don't forget to share your photos once you tried this recipe! HERE |
About this recipeThose are delicious French shortbread cookies ! |
 |
 | And I found this recipe years ago while living in France, and since then, everyone loves them. I am slowly converting the whole California to these French shortbreads... |
 | You will love it, trust me... |
 |
Be aware that...This recipe is NOT the official recipe for the Galettes Saint-Michel.Saint-Michel biscuits, also known as Sablés, are French Butter Cookies originating in Normandy and Brittany France (north). The name 'Sablés' is French for "sand", which refers to the sandy texture of the crumbly cookie. It is somehow close to shortbread. The traditional shape is round with fluted edges with a shiny appearance. The finishing touch, which makes them instantly recognizable, is to score a criss-cross pattern on the top of each cookie |
Ingredients
 | 26 shortbreads, 2.75" (or 2 3/4" or 7 cm) in diameterThe powders 1 ½ Cup Flour (220 grams)1 Cup Almond Flour (100 grams)½ Cup Sugar (100 grams)½ Cup Powdered Milk (70 grams)The rest 1 Egg. 2 Tablespoons or 50 grams1 Cup Salted Butter (220 grams)¼ Lemon ZestEggwash 2 Egg Yolks. 3 Tablespoons or 40 grams1 tablespoon of Water1 pinch of Salt |
20 shortbreads, 2.75" (or 2 3/4" or 7 cm) in diameterThe powders 1 ¼ Cup Flour (169.2 grams)¾ Cup Almond Flour (76.9 grams)⅓ Cup Sugar (76.9 grams)½ Cup Powdered Milk (53.8 grams)The rest 0.7 Egg. 1 Tablespoon or 35 grams¾ Cup Salted Butter (169.2 grams)0.1 Lemon ZestEggwash 1.5 Egg Yolks. 2 Tablespoons or 30 grams0.7 tablespoon of Water1 pinch of Salt |
13 shortbreads, 2.75" (or 2 3/4" or 7 cm) in diameterThe powders ¾ Cup Flour (110 grams)½ Cup Almond Flour (50 grams)4 Tablespoons Sugar (50 grams)⅓ Cup Powdered Milk (35 grams)The rest ½ Egg. 1 Tablespoon or 25 grams½ Cup Salted Butter (110 grams)1/8 Lemon ZestEggwash 1 Egg Yolk. 1 Tablespoon or 20 grams½ tablespoon of Water1 pinch of Salt |
You will need...
Steps
1. Sift over a mixing bowl: the
2. The
3. For the next steps : You may mix manually with a wooden spatula or with a stand mixer (like a Kitchen Aid appliance), with the 'paddle'
Almond Flour
(1 Cup or 100 g), theFlour
(1 ½ Cup or 220 g), theSugar
(½ Cup or 100 g) and thePowdered Milk
(½ Cup or 70 g)2. The
Salted Butter
doesn't need to be softened, just diced and added, cold3. For the next steps : You may mix manually with a wooden spatula or with a stand mixer (like a Kitchen Aid appliance), with the 'paddle'
4. Add in the mixing bowl : the
5. To zest the the
6.
Always leave behind the soft, white pith that lies underneath as it has a bitter, unappealing taste that you simply don't want to include
7. Mix all ingredients, manually with a wooden spatula or in the stand mixer (like a Kitchen Aid appliance), using the 'paddle'
Egg
(1) and theSalted Butter
(1 Cup or 220 g)5. To zest the the
Lemon Zest
(¼), use a microplane or grater. Professional chefs usually scrape the outer skin with the grater placed on theLemon Zest
, which will avoid grating the sour white pith ("skin” )6.
Always leave behind the soft, white pith that lies underneath as it has a bitter, unappealing taste that you simply don't want to include7. Mix all ingredients, manually with a wooden spatula or in the stand mixer (like a Kitchen Aid appliance), using the 'paddle'
8. The dough is thick
9.
It is essential that you wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for at least
9.
It is essential that you wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours
Rolling the dough |
13. Transfer the dough with the silicon mats onto a baking sheet, and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least
14. Prepare the eggwash: Beat the
15. Remove the silicon mat that is on top
16. The dough is hard but will soften pretty quickly
Transfer the dough with the silicon mats onto a baking sheet, and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
(or in the freezer for at least10 minutes
)14. Prepare the eggwash: Beat the
Egg Yolks
(2), theWater
(1 tablespoon) and theSalt
(1 pinch)15. Remove the silicon mat that is on top
16. The dough is hard but will soften pretty quickly
17. Brush the eggwash over the dough
18. Using the tines of a fork, draw parallel lines in one direction
18. Using the tines of a fork, draw parallel lines in one direction
19. Make sure the dough is at the right consistency and temperature:
20. Dough too hard : You won't be able to make those lines : wait for the dough to soften at room temperature
21. Dough too soft : You may end up making lines that are too deep... If the dough is too soft, refrigerate for
22. This is the crisscross pattern you want to achieve
20. Dough too hard : You won't be able to make those lines : wait for the dough to soften at room temperature
21. Dough too soft : You may end up making lines that are too deep... If the dough is too soft, refrigerate for
10 minutes
22. This is the crisscross pattern you want to achieve
23. We are going to use a cookie cutter, about 2.75" (or 2 3/4" or 7 cm) in diameter
24. Cut the dough with the cookie cutter
25. Remove the dough between those circles. You will repeat the previous steps : combine the dough, knead, roll out again.
24. Cut the dough with the cookie cutter
25. Remove the dough between those circles. You will repeat the previous steps : combine the dough, knead, roll out again.
Backing |
26. Place the cookies on a baking sheet
27.
Bake the cookies for
27.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes
up to15 minutes
at 340 °F / 170 °C, until golden brown around the edges : the baking time depends on the size and the thickness of the cookies as well as your oven
28. Transfer to a cooling rack right after baking them
ResultThey actually taste better after cooling down |
 |
Allow the cookies to cool a few hours before eating them |
 |
Bon appétit! |
 |
The other recipe of Cookies  |
The 2 other recipes of Sablés Cookies |
The result and the pix
|
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Readers' Photos
Suzanne
“These are so delicious. Thin, crisp, and melt in your mouth, perfect with a hot cup of lemon tea.“
FX (François-xavier) answers :
Share Your Photos
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What else to cook with Lemon |
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What else to cook with Milk powder |
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1 ½ Cup Flour (220 g)
1 Cup Almond Flour (100 g)
½ Cup Sugar (100 g)
½ Cup Powdered Milk (70 g)
1 Egg
1 Cup Salted Butter (220 g)
¼ Lemon Zest
2 Egg Yolks
1 tablespoon of Water
1 pinch of Salt
Comments for This Recipe
I indicated the yield as "26 shortbreads of 7 cm (3” ) in diameter"
I would start trying with half white flour, half whole wheat
Many thanks
The goal is to give a creamy texture without the liquid. I strongly recommend powdered milk,
You may try to substitute with almond flour