Toasted Flour Sablés Recipes

TOASTED-FLOUR SABLéS

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 450°F. Sprinkle flour evenly over a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring often once top layer of flour browns, until all flour is golden, 10-15 minutes (flour will burn quickly, so check often). Let cool, then sift into a medium bowl and whisk in egg yolks and salt.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar in a medium bowl, until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture plus 2 Tbsp. water; mix just until combined (mixture will look crumbly but will hold together when pinched). Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper and form into a 12" log. Tightly roll up in parchment, then wrap tightly in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice a little dough from both ends of log to square off; unwrap and slice dough 1/4" thick. Place on rounds on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1" apart. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until edges are golden but centers are still pale, 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.
• Dough can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month.

PECAN SABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Pulse toasted pecans with 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
• Beat together butter, remaining 2/3 cup confectioners sugar, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and beat well. Add flour and ground-pecan mixture and mix at low speed until just combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (Dough will be crumbly but will hold together when squeezed.)
• Halve dough and roll out 1 half between 2 sheets of wax paper until 1/4 inch thick (about a 9-inch round). Cut out as many rounds as possible with cookie cutter and arrange about 2 inches apart on buttered large baking sheets, reserving scraps. Roll out and cut remaining dough in same manner. Gather scraps, then reroll and cut in same manner.
• Beat egg white until frothy, then brush tops of rounds lightly with egg white. Put a pecan half on top of each round, then brush pecan lightly with egg white.
• Bake cookies in middle of oven until tops are pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets on racks 2 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

TOASTED-FLOUR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1 3/4 cups flour in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until flour is a light caramel color and smells slightly nutty, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Pass egg yolks through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Add sugar, both butters, and remaining 1 tablespoon flour; mix until well combined and a dough forms. If dough doesn't hold together, add water as needed, a little at a time. Transfer dough to a piece of parchment; roll into a log about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Slice log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with ginger or cinnamon, if desired. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown around edges, 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.