French Lemon Sables

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A Sable is a French shortbread cookie that may or may not be frosted.

Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

4–6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons lemon zest 

1 teaspoon dried lavender (crushed) or dried rosemary (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg, lemon zest and vanilla and beat until blended. Reduce speed and gradually add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Form into a flattened disk and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking or cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a clean, flat surface dusted lightly with flour, roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness. (If necessary, sprinkle dough lightly with flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.) Cut out cookies using a 2-inch cookie cutter (or your desired size) and place on baking sheets. Bake for 15–17 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and stir in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. It should be thick but not stiff. Then stir in the zest and lavender. Using the back of a small spoon, spread the glaze on the surface of the cookies. Allow to set before serving.

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Tips & techniques

True oven temperatures. You can’t always trust your oven temperature setting to be accurate. Experience has taught me that oven temps can be off by as much as 30 degrees. I suggest a backup oven thermometer as a fail-safe measure. Always check this backup to confirm the temperature before placing items in the oven, and replace the backup yearly.

Which comes first? In recipes calling for lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice, always zest the lemon first before juicing it.

How to make vanilla sugar. Make vanilla-flavored sugar by putting a scraped vanilla bean in a mason jar filled with sugar. Close the lid tightly and store in a cool dry place for about a week. Use in baked goods, desserts, beverages and savory dishes.

What if you don’t have parchment paper? Substitute with wax paper, or lightly coat your cookie or baking sheet with cooking spray.

Sifting for success. Always sift powdered sugar (also known as confectioners’ sugar) to remove lumps before adding it to other ingredients. This will result in a smoother batter or glaze.

Tips for working with dough

  • When rolling out dough, if it becomes sticky and starts to cling to the rolling pin, dust both dough and rolling pin with additional flour.
  • The yield for cookies will vary, depending on the size of the cookie cutter.
  • If you become distracted while rolling out dough, rewrap it and return it to the refrigerator until you are ready to complete the task.

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