This week’s TWD was chosen by Barbara of Bungalow Barbara: sables! Sables are shortbread-style cookies that are apparently very popular in France. I was tempted to make the basic, plain sables but in the end I couldn’t resist the temptation of the various “playing around” options Dorie offered. I went with the lemon sables because it seems like it’s been way too long since I baked anything with lemon.
I was thankful for a simple recipe this week. This dough comes together quickly, is shaped into a log and then has to chill in the fridge for at least a few hours; I made the dough before bed and popped it in the fridge overnight. Though I only made 1/2 recipe of the cookies, I used the full amount of lemon zest so my cookies would have a ton of lemon flavor. I rolled the log in festive red and white sugar since it is December after all.
My sables didn’t retain their shape in the oven quite as nicely as I’d hoped despite the long chill in the fridge before I baked them. It didn’t really matter though, as they were delicious! The sables were very lemony and had the characteristic sandiness Dorie promised. I’ve been sampling way too many cookies lately so I will have to find someone to share these with. That said, I’m really tempted to try some additional flavors (vanilla bean, spice, parmesan??) so these may have to be added to my Christmas trays so I have another reason to make them 🙂
Many thanks to Barbara for a fun (and easy!) pick this week! You can find the recipe on her site or in the book. Visit the TWD blogroll if you’d like to see all of this week’s sables.
Lemon Bars
Glazed Grapefruit Cake
Orange Sherbet
Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
Beautiful! Love the red – so festive. My log is chillin’ in the freezer now! Again, last minute Mary… – mary
Beautiful little cookies.
Lemon sables sound wonderful. I’m going to have to make them. The plain were good too. I love the festive sugar.
I love how you made them so festive!
Yum on the lemon flavor! I really want to try that and the Parmesan flavor as well. Once again, great pics, Tracey!
Your cookies are absolutely gorgeous, Tracey! And so festive! Great job!
Wow these look great! I love how festive they are. Green and Red sprinkles would look fantastic 🙂
Your cookies look wonderful! I made the plain version of these, but will definitely play around with this recipe in the future. Lemon will be high on the list.
lemon would be great in these. good job, and very pretty and round too!
These were really easy and great. I went with lemon too, but added a bunch of ground ginger.
I love the festive sugar! very pretty.
I agree that these are going to be making it to Christmas giveaway plates!
I think yours look perfect! With their straight sides and extra lemony-ness, they’re pretty much the version of these I wish I had made!
Your sables look great! I love the red sprinkles.
I would have loved to try the lemon or lime version of these cookies! Wish I had the larger red sugar crystals like you did 🙂 it looks nicer that way
I’m definitely going to try the lemon sables next! Your cookies look great!
I agree – so many options for these cookies. I’m especially tempted by the savory version I see popping up. Yours look gorgeous!
Your sables look wonderful – I love your sparkly red sugar! I made the spice version, and they were amazing. I want to try all of the other variations too, especially the lemon and the parmesan.
Ooooh vanilla bean! I may have to try those! Lovely!
Lemon sounds delicious! But maybe later. I’ve eaten too many sables today.
Lemon sounds just right! I’m in sable overload right now, but I’d love to make fruity ones next time.
Ha! I did lemon also AND rolled them in red sugar – great minds think alike!
Wonderful little cookie. They look great rolled in the holiday sprinkles!
Thank you for baking along with me this week!
I love your close-up of the sugar on the sides. Great pictures!
Your sables look great, love the festive sprinkles! I made the plain ones and can’t wait to try some other variations. Not quite yet, though; we have way too many sweets around here at the moment.
I agree- want to try all the other versions. Yours look like they turned out well
Love this! I too want to try the parmesan flavor. The red sugar are gorgeous.
these were good weren’t they? i rolled mine in red and green sugar. my fiance seemed rather confused about the process:
him: smells like eggs
me: probably from the egg wash on the cookies
him: egg…. wash….?
me: mhm. its the glue for the sprinkles.
him: sprinkles…?
me: mhm. red and greeeeeen!
him: red and green…. why?
me: umm…. its christmas? well, almost. its festive dangit!
I’m looking for an excuse to bake another batch of these myself! The lemon sound wonderful, especially with amped up lemoniness.
Ooh, pretty sprinkles! =) I’ve made these with lemon, but it’s been a long time. From what I remember, they were really good. I did vanilla bean this time, and still want to try a spice version.
Those look beautiful – such festive sprinkles! I’ll have to remember to double the lemon zest when I make lemon sables.
Love the colored sprinkles, they look perfect for a Christmas party tray.
Tres jolie, Tracey!
Love the red!