Pistachio and tonka bean sables breton

One day I had to write an article about sables breton, and I fell in love. To be honest, I was in love with them before, but at a different level. It was more of a “what to bring home from France” love, whereas now it is "I need to make my own recipe" love. The story about sables breton is a simple one, as are many stories (you can read it here) but the flavor, texture, and skills to make them – that’s a whole different, very French style thing. Simple and complicated at once. Since that article, I have created two of my favorite recipes - one with bergamot, rose and vanilla for L’Occitane, and another with tonka beans and pistachios. 

Ingredients

300 g butter, room temperature
200 g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp honey
1/5 tsp tonka bean powder
1/3 organic lemon zest, finely grated
3 medium egg yolks, lightly whisked with a fork
70 g ground pistachios (almost like flour)
260 g pastry wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Fleur de Sel

Prepare

Cream the butter together with sugar and honey for five minutes using a stand mixer with a flat beater until everything is light and fluffy. When the butter is almost done, add tonka beans, lemon zest, and whip together. Beat in eggs in 2-3 batches. 

Add the flour mixed with baking powder and salt, and add to the mixture until combined. Divide the cookie dough into two pieces and, using plastic wrap, make two sausages. The size depends on you. I make ones that fit my muffin tins. You can make them bigger or smaller. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 12 hours or 24h. This gives the dough time to absorb the wet ingredients.

Heat oven to 160°.  Take the dough out, cut into 7mm slices, place into the bottom of the tin and place the muffin pan into the oven. Bake for 20-35 minutes or until golden brown. Or, you can cut them 4 mm thick and place on a baking tray and bake like that just for 15-18 minutes. After baking, let the cookies cool completely and remove them to a cake rack. If baking the thin version, cool them in the pan just for 5 minutes and then carefully transfer to the rack. 

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s