Butter-based biscuit and cookies

This recipe is some basic recommandations for making butter based biscuits (aka

shortbread, sablés, cookies …). The complexity comes from the presence of butter

mostly.

⏲️ Prep time: 10 min

⏲️ Wait time: 1h

🍳 Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients

Butter

Flour

White sugar

Eggs (optionnal)

Directions

Prepare the dough

1. Mix the sugar and eggs until it gets white

2. Add the “Pommade” butter and mix thoroughly until the preparation is airy.

“pommade” is french for ointment, this is a specific state of butter that is

nor liquid nor solid.

3. Gradually add the flour

Let it sit

6. The dough should not be sticky and made into a ball wrapped in

cellophane/film

7. Put the dough ball 1h in the fridge (15 minutes in the freezer if you are in

a hurry less consistent). The dough needs to be cold when putting in the

oven to prevent butter from flowing out and separating from the dough

Cooking the dough

8. Heat your oven to 200 °C with the cooking tray

9. Quickly shape the dough so it remains cold. Most important is the thickness,

the thicker it is the longer it has to cook and the more chances the butter

flows out.

10. Transfer the baking paper with the uncooked shortbreads on the hot cooking

tray

11. Let cook for 12 to 15 minutes to your liking, the brown colour means the

sugar has caramelized and it is crunchy

12. Work is not done, when out of the oven, the shortbreads will fill soft and

crumbly, they need 1 or 2 minutes of cooling before being solid enough to

handle

13. Whenever possible transfer the shortbreads on a grid or “oven shelf” so air

flow can circulate Necessary for the texture of the shortbread otherwise

moisture will remain inside and will be less crunchy