These butter cookies are named for the French word sand because of their crumbly texture and coating of coarse sugar.
I love making half the dough pink and half green when I make these cookies for Christmas. They also make a great gifts, as featured in the Hallelujah a Holiday Pot Luck post.
See the recipe notes for both the almond and chocolate versions.
Sable Butter Cookies
Simple and delicious almond-flavored butter cookie, edged with coarse sugar
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 64 cookies
Ingredients
Almond version
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- Red food coloring optional
- 1/2 cup Demerara sugar or coarse sugar
Chocolate version
- Reduce flour to 1 1/2 cup flour and add 1 cup cocoa
- Increase powdered sugar to 1 1/2 cups
Instructions
Almond version
- In a medium bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and almond extract. Beat until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in flour. I also add a few drops of red food coloring to create a pale pink cookie for the holidays or other special occasions. This is of course optional.
- Divide dough in four equal portions. On large piece of waxed paper shape one portion of dough into an 8 inch log that is about 1 inch in diameter.
- Sprinkle the Demerara sugar on the sheet of waxed paper, roll each log in sugar to coat evenly. Save excess sugar to roll cookies a second time before baking. Wrap each log individually in plastic wrap. Chill logs of dough for 1 hour or until firm enough to slice.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Reshape logs if needed, rolling again in coarse sugar to coat more thickly. With a thin sharp knife, cut each log into 16 slices 1/2 inch thick. Rotate logs while cutting them to prevent flattening one side. Place slices apart on ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until tops are firm and edges are just starting to brown. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool.
Chocolate version
- Prepare as directed above except reduce flour to 1 1/2 cups and add 1 cup unsweetened cocoa. Also increase powdered sugar to 1 1/2 cups. Bake cookies as directed above.
[…] Sable Butter Cookies […]