Ever since we started Pepe Saya, Mrs Pepe has constantly searched for recipes that truly showcase the butter's rich flavour. Her go-to has always been baking a batch of Sablé butter biscuits, they let the butter take centre stage and shine.
Makes 36 biscuits, depending the cutter you use.
Ingredients
- 140gm unsalted cultured butter (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- large egg at room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Egg wash
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 Tbsps. water
Method
- Line two baking sheets with baking paper or butter.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times to bring it together, and divide the dough in half. Then roll each half between two sheets of parchment or wax paper until it is about 2.5 -5 mm thick. As you roll, periodically check the top and bottom sheets of parchment and smooth out any wrinkles. Place the dough on a baking sheet (along with the parchment paper) and place in the refrigerator until cold and firm (about 45 minutes). (For faster chilling, place in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes).
- Once chilled, remove from refrigerator and peel off the top piece of parchment paper. Using a 6.5 cm biscuits cutter, cut out the biscuits. Place them on the prepared baking sheets. Place the baking sheet of biscuits in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill the dough before baking. Then gather up any scraps and re-roll (you may need to refrigerate the dough again before cutting out the biscuits).
- Meanwhile preheat your oven to 180°C and place the oven rack in the centre of the oven.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the water for the egg wash.
- Remove the biscuits from the refrigerator and brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash. Then, with the tines of a fork (or I like to use the end of a toothpick), make a crisscross pattern on the top of each biscuit.
- Bake for about 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
- Cool the biscuits on wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. The biscuits can also be frozen.