French Saint-Michel Cookies

1. Sift over a mixing bowl: the Almond Flour (1 Cup or 100 g), the Flour (1 ½ Cup or 220 g), the Sugar (½ Cup or 100 g) and the Powdered Milk (½ Cup or 70 g)

2. The Salted Butter doesn't need to be softened, just diced and added, cold

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'

4. Add in the mixing bowl : the Egg (1) and the Salted 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 the Lemon 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 include

7. 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 2 hours

Rolling the dough

10. Place the dough between two silicon mats

11. I am using "dough strips" that I place on the side which helps to roll out the dough with the same thickness. To purchase online, see HERE

12. Roll out the dough: The dough should be 0.19" (or 13/64" or 0.5 cm) thick

13.  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 least 10 minutes)

14. Prepare the eggwash: Beat the Egg Yolks (2), the Water (1 tablespoon) and the Salt (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

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 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.

Backing

26. Place the cookies on a baking sheet

27.  Bake the cookies for 12 minutes up to 15 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