Breton Biscuits Recipes

SABLES BRETONS

Steps:

• Pulse butter and sugar in a food processor until well combined and smooth. Add 2 egg yolks and pulse to combine. Add flour and pulse until dough comes together. On a lightly floured surface, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in top third. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter, cut out rounds; transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Reroll scraps once and cut out more rounds, if desired. Using the tines of a fork, press to create a crosshatch pattern. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water; use to brush tops and sides of cookies. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.

FRENCH BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in 2 egg yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and salt. Divide dough into 2 portions; shape each into a disk. Cover; refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, roll to 1/4-in. thickness between parchment. Cut with floured 2-in. round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Whisk remaining egg yolk and water; brush over cookies. Create a cross-hatch design by dragging the tines of a fork across the cookie., Bake until edges are light golden, 12-15 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

ALMOND BRETON BISCUITS

Steps:

• Beat butter, sugar, salt and powdered sugar till fluffy. Add egg yolks till combined and gradually add the flour and almonds till well combined. Divide the dough in half and shape into a, 8 inch long log. Wrap in plastic and chill about one hour. Remove from the fridge, brush with the egg white and roll in the colored sugar or non-pariels. Re-wrap and chill about two hours. To bake, remove from the wrap and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
• * At this point I will make a small indentation on the center of the cookie top and add about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry bakery filling.
• Place two inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
• Prep time does not include chill time.

BRETON BISCUITS

Steps:

• Sift both flours, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed until doubled in volume and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the butter in four parts, beating until completely combined after each, 1 to 2 minutes total. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, beating until combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half, and flatten into disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Generously dust a large piece of parchment paper with flour. Place one disk of dough in the center, and roll out to slightly thicker than 1/4 inch. To prevent sticking while rolling, occasionally run a large offset spatula under dough, and add more flour to the top or bottom. Transfer parchment and dough to a baking sheet; chill until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk. (You can stack sheets of dough in the freezer.)
• Remove one sheet of dough and parchment from the freezer, and transfer to a clean work surface. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps; roll out again and cut out more rounds. In a small bowl, whisk together the whole egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of rounds. Let stand 5 minutes and brush again. Using a paring knife, score each round in a shallow lattice pattern, making sure not to cut all the way through the dough. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are amber on top and deeply golden around the edges, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer parchment and cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• After each round of dough is brushed with egg wash, a sharp paring knife is used to score a decorative diamond pattern on the top.