Savory Baking: Recipes for Breakfast, Dinner, and Everything in Between

Parmesan Sablés

Makes about 40 sablés. Difficulty: Easy

Sablés are buttery shortbread cookies, typically sweet. They’ve gone salty in this Parmesan twist, which maintains the same short, sandy texture of the original and makes a perfect snack with cocktails. Since the dough can be made ahead of time, these are as easy as they are delicious—a go-to recipe that you may become known for!

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, herbs, salt, and pepper to combine, 15 - 30 seconds. Add the butter and Parmesan and pulse until the butter is thoroughly incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolks & milk and pulse just until the dough comes together.

2. Lay a piece of parchment paper about the size of a baking sheet (12 x 18 inches/30 x 46 cm) on your work surface. Turn the dough out onto the parchment and form it into a rough log along one of the longer sides of the paper. Use the paper & a bench knife to help form the dough into a smooth log about 11/2 inches/4 cm in diameter (see photo, p. 000).

Unwrap the log and see how it looks—repeat the process if needed—and then wrap it in the parchment. Chill the dough in the refrigerator overnight, or freeze for 20 - 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C with the racks in the upper & lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Unwrap the chilled dough log & roll it under your palms a few times to even out the shape.

Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1/4-inch-/6 mm thick slices and transfer the slices to the prepared baking sheets—stagger the rows, leaving 1/2 inch/1 cm between them.

5. Bake the sablés, rotating the sheets from front to back and top to bottom at the halfway mark, until the surface appears set and they are evenly golden brown around the edges, 15 - 18 minutes. Let cool completely.

Ingredients